


A Brief History of Ice Cream

by Mokupele



Category: RWBY
Genre: Blood, F/M, Homelessness, Mentions of sex trafficking, Murder, Organized Crime, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-31
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2019-07-04 23:53:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 21
Words: 32,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15851994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mokupele/pseuds/Mokupele
Summary: Who is Neo? What is her story? Why doesn't she talk? What's her relationship with Roman Torchwick?A story about Neo's past, starting at the very beginning.





	1. Chapter 1

Her life started as many do. A normal birth to a normal mother and father. They named her ҉̧̡͝B̸͟v̡s͞p̵҉̵̧̡s̨̕͝b̷͜. She doesn't remember her name, but she's sure she had one. What kind of parents don't give their child a name? No, she had good parents.

She had friends, too, though she can't remember them either. She has the vaguest memories of playing with other children. A bright rubber ball. A tricycle. Dolls and a wooden doll house.

Her father is all but forgotten, only a voice remaining in her memory.

“ ҉̧̡͝҉̧̡͝B̸͟v̡s͞p̵҉̵̧̡s̨̕͝b̷͜ come inside, it's going to rain.” Smooth and deep, she always imagined her father's voice sounded like melted dark chocolate tastes. She hasn't wondered what he looked like in years.

There are more memories of her mother. She was warm, soft, kind. Her hair was strawberry syrup on vanilla ice cream. Eyes, mismatched just like hers, twinkled with mischief. Her hugs were like being wrapped in a fuzzy blanket and she shined with a light that chased away any darkness.

What she remembers the most is that she was happy. She was safe. Warm. Never hungry. She didn't even really know what it meant to be hungry. To be cold. To be afraid. To have to sleep with one eye open. No, she was happy.

Until the day it was all taken from her.She was four years old. She's not sure of that, but it sounds right. Fits with the timeline she's put together.

She was playing in their front yard, playing with little plastic animals. That was when the screaming started.

She looked up from her toys, not sure what she was hearing. People screaming, little pops and big booms. She thought maybe it was some kind of fair. She liked fairs.

Looking back, she realized it was gunshots and explosions. Their little village was under attack.

Sometimes she wonders if things would've been different, if she had realized what was happening. If she'd ran off and hid on her own, instead of just sitting there staring until her mother ran up.

“Mommy! The fair is here! Can we go?” she had asked, giggling in excitement.

Her mother ran across the yard and grabbed her wrist, pulling her to her feet. It hurt. She cried out, but her mother hushed her. Her mother was scared. That made her scared. Her mother wasn't afraid of anything, so why was she afraid now?

“Mommy, you're hurting me,” she whined, “what's going on?”

“Shhh, it's okay baby, it's okay,” her mother said, she didn't sound like it was okay. “We're gonna play a game, okay? The two of us are gonna play hide and seek.”

“Are we hiding from Daddy?” she asked. Her mother wasn't squeezing her little wrist as hard anymore, and the pain was forgotten. She was excited again, she loved games!

“That's right, ҉̧̡͝B̸͟v̡s͞p̵҉̵̧̡s̨̕͝b̷͜. Daddy is gonna come find us. And whoever wins gets ice cream,” she said with a tight smile. She believed her mother, and got even more excited.

They were in the kitchen now. Mommy was looking for a good hiding place, but wouldn't let go. How could she hide if Mommy wouldn't let her go?

“In here sweetie,” her mother said, holding open a cabinet. “Hide behind that big bag of flour, okay?”

She nodded and started to climb in. It was a good hiding place, Daddy would never find her!

Suddenly, her mother hugged her from behind. Tighter than she'd ever been hugged.

“Everything will be okay, ҉̧̡͝B̸͟v̡s͞p̵҉̵̧̡s̨̕͝b̷͜. You just got to start really quiet, okay?” her mother whispered. Her mother's cheeks were wet, and she didn't understand why. “Promise me, ҉̧̡͝B̸͟v̡s͞p̵҉̵̧̡s̨̕͝b̷͜. Promise me you'll be quiet as a little mouse, okay? Not a sound.”

“Okay Mommy,” she said. She was confused, when did Mommy start taking hide and seek so serious? “I promise I'll be quiet.”

“Good girl,” her mother said, kissing the top of her head. “I love you, ҉̧̡͝B̸͟v̡s͞p̵҉̵̧̡s̨̕͝b̷͜.”

“I love you too Mommy,” she responded. Her mother pushed her into the cabinet and she crawled behind the bag if flour. It was all she could smell, but she didn't mind. She heard a door close, her mother hiding in the pantry probably.

They didn't have to wait long. Heavy footsteps filled the silence, and she was extra quiet. If Daddy found Mommy first, then she got ice cream.

“I don't think there's anyone in here,” a voice said. That wasn't her father. It sounded like the smelly man that slept on the corner. Rough and stumbling.

“Don't matter. Boss said check every house.” This voice was sharp and hard, like having to walk across gravel in care bare feet. “Sides, there's bound to be some shit we can sell for a few lien.”

She gasped. That was a bad word! You weren't supposed to say bad words!

“What was that?” the sharp one asked. Oh no! She had made a sound! Maybe if she was quiet starting now she'd still get ice cream.

“I didn't hear nothing,” rough one complained.

“It came from the kitchen.”

The footsteps got closer and closer. She put her hands over her mouth, holding her breath. Maybe they were part of the game? If they were she couldn't let them find her.

“Stay away from me!” her mother shouted. She heard the pantry open and what could only be her mom running. Why was she doing that? That wasn't how you played hide and seek!

“Shit! Boss'll kill us if we let one get away!” sharp one said. She didn't like the sharp one, he said bad words.

The footsteps thumped past her and out the door. Then it was quiet.

Had she won? No one had found her, and they found Mommy, so didn't that mean she won? She decided she didn't want to risk, not with ice cream on the line. She'd wait for Daddy to find her or for Mommy to come get her.

So she waited. And waited. And waited. She waited until she couldn't keep her eyes open and fell asleep leaning against flour bag.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally decided to write out my headcanons for Neo's history in a story! Lemme know what y'all think, and stay tuned for the next installment.


	2. Chapter 2

She woke up and found herself still in the cabinet. Her father hadn't carried her to her bed like he always did when she fell asleep in a strange place. She decided that that meant they were still playing hide and seek. So she waited some more.

She waited until her stomach ached from hunger, but no one came. She came out of her hiding spot, calling for her mother and her father.

“Mommy? Daddy? This game isn't fun anymore,” she called. Her tiny voice echoed around the house, and no one answered. It was too quiet, both inside and outside. No one was talking, the dog next door wasn't barking. Just silence.

She looked all over the house, but she didn't find Mommy or Daddy.

Her tummy hurt. She hadn't eaten in a long time. There were animal crackers in the pantry that Mommy let her have for snacks. She pushed a chair into the pantry and climbed it, even though she wasn't supposed to, and grabbed the animal crackers.

For a while, she sat on the chair and ate. For a while she wasn't scared anymore. She ate until she couldn't eat anymore, then she took a nap.

What happened next is lost from her memory. At some point, she woke up, then went outside. Maybe her Mommy and Daddy were out fixing the yard? Her memory went black as soon as she walked out the door. Looking back, she imagined that was a good thing.

The next thing she remembered, she was on a horse. She was excited because she'd never been on a horse before. It had short shiny fur and it's mane was braided. She smiled and pet the horse, which snorted in response.

“Poor thing, she was the only one left,” a voice said. It was hard and sharp, like the man from earlier. It wasn't him, but it sounded like him. She looked around for the voice, wondering if they were playing hide and seek again.

A man and a woman stood in the front step of a house, talking to each other. She can't remember them anymore, but she remembers she didn't like them. The man sounded like the one who said bad words, and that was bad. She didn't know them either, which made them strangers. Mommy told her to stay away from strangers.

“She's been unconscious since you found her?” the woman asked.

“She was wandering through the place like a zombie. Just stepping over the bodies. When I touched her she just collapsed,” the man answered, shaking his head. “Think you can take her in?”

She didn't know what they talking about, but they were strangers. So she had to get away.

Carefully, she wiggled her way off the horse. It was big, and her tiny legs couldn't reach the ground. For a moment, she simply hung there, not willing to drop and unable to pull herself up. The horse snorted in annoyance, but remained still.

Her arms couldn't hold her up for long, and she dropped to the ground. It hurt, and she scraped her knee. Her eyes watered and she felt herself starting to cry.

“Promise me you'll be quiet as a little mouse, okay? Not a sound.” Her mother's voice echoed in her head. She'd promised her mom she'd be really quiet. So she gritted her teeth and held back the sobs. Once she found Mommy she'd kiss the boo boo better.

She wandered off, leaving the man and the woman and the horse behind. Her Mommy was looking for her, so she had to get back home, back to her hiding spot.

This place was so much bigger than her house. She'd never seen buildings so big, and more cars than she'd seen in her whole life lined the wide roads. It was dark out, she wasn't allowed to be outside after dark. She didn't know where she was though, so she couldn't find the way home!

Unsure what else to do, she walked until she was too tired to keep walking. Then she curled up in a doorway to sleep. The ground was hard and cold, but she was too tired to care. Her stomach was starting to growl again. She was thirsty too, and it made her throat hurt.

Most of all, she wanted to go home. She missed her soft bed with it's pretty zebra blankets. She missed the music her Mommy played, and she wanted a dinner her Mommy cooked. She wanted her Daddy. She wanted her Mommy. 

Curled up in a doorway in a town she didn't recognize, she cried for the second time that day. As the tears streamed down her cheeks, she remembered her promise. If she just stayed quiet, her Mommy would come get her. She just had to be quiet as a little mouse, just like she promised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow this blew up pretty dang fast. Thank you to everyone who read and kudos and commented. I plan to stick with this for a while, so I hope y'all stick with me to the end.


	3. Chapter 3

A blast of cold water was her first experience on the streets. She scrambled away from it, gasping.

“Get out of here you little rat.” A big, fat man was spraying her with a hose, trying to chase her away from his shop. She climbed to her feet and ran away, the stream of water following her until she was beyond its reach. She leaned against a wall, shivering and panting. Why was this happening? Where was her Mommy?

Her stomach growled so loud it hurt. She bent over and hugged it, almost letting out a whine.

No, she told herself. She had to be quiet. Then Mommy would come get her. She swallowed the noise and pushed down the pain. She was a big girl, and a good girl. She'd keep her promise.

But first, she needed to eat. Across the street, she saw a big table full of apples. Just like the kind she saw when Mommy took her to the store. She always got one when she was a good girl.

She looked both ways, then scurried across the street. Her stomach growled again as she got on her tip toes and grabbed the biggest, shiniest apple she could reach.

That first bite was like heaven. It was so juicy and tasty.

“Hey! Hey that's not for you, you little thief!” a mean sounding man came out of the store, swinging a broom. She clutched her apple to her chest and ran, narrowly avoiding getting hit by the broom. The man yelled after her, shaking the broom. “You better not let me see you around here again!”

She ran until she couldn't see the shop with the apple table. Then she went into an alley where it was quiet and there wasn't anyone else. Then she devoured her apple. She was so hungry she even tried eating the core. She couldn't stomach it though, and threw what was left away.

There went the spoils of her first theft. Within days, she found it was the only way to survive. There were other kids, and she watched them to learn. They didn't like her though, so she kept her distance.

“Look at her eyes. The way they're always changing like that,” they'd whisper. “And her hair. She's a freak.”

“She's too small,” others would say, “too slow, too weak. She'll just slow us down. Leave her.”

So she hid, watching what the other kids did. They stole food, and clothes. They ran whenever adults saw them, slipping into holes and alleys too small for the adults. They hid whenever the police came around. She watched and she learned, and that was how she survived. 

She stole food. Not enough to stop the hunger, but enough that she was able to keep going. When her clothes got too small or too tattered, she stole new ones. She got faster, smarter. She ran from the adults and she stayed away from the other kids. All the while, she never made a sound. 

Her memories faded. She forgot what her home looked like, it was more important to remember safe places to sleep. She forgot her friends, they were replaced with the kids who wouldn't throw rocks and chase her away. She forgot her father, instead remembering which shopkeepers didn't pay enough attention.

One thing she never forgot, though, was her last promise to her mother.

“Promise me you'll be quiet as a little mouse, okay? Not a sound.” She was perfectly silent. When they threw rocks at her or the adults hit her with brooms or sticks, she never cried out. When she couldn't get food and her stomach was so empty it hurt, she never groaned or whined in pain. When she cried at night, she did so silently.

Her life went on like that for a while. At least a couple years, though she had no way of knowing that for sure. She stole food, she found whatever safe place she could to sleep, then she woke up the next day and did it again. It would've kept going on that way, if she hadn't found him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A pretty quick update, I know. But I don't the last three days hiding up in the mountains writing. So I may have a bit of backlog. I'm not gonna post them all at once, but y'all can expect regular updates for at least a couple chapters. Let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

She'd been watching the older kids, learning from them. They could reach into someone's pocket and steal their wallet without them noticing. Wallets had money, and money bought food. It looked much easier than stealing food directly.

She was ready to try it herself, having watched for a few days now. She picked someone who looked easy. Another kid, about her age. He had bright orange hair, and his white clothes didn't look that dirty. They didn't even have any holes in them. Not like the tattered clothes she wore. He was a good target for her first attempt at picking pockets.

As he walked past, she fell into step behind him. For a few feet, she followed him, then she made her move. She bumped into him, and as they both stumbled she reached for his back pocket where boys always kept their wallets.

He danced away before she could get it, whirling to face her. He opened his mouth to talk, but stopped when he caught sight of her. 

She must've been a sight. Dangerously skinny, her hair thin and ratty. Her clothes were mismatched and filthy and torn. She stared at him with sunken, tired eyes.

“First go at picking pockets?” he asked conversationally. Slowly, she nodded in response. She was half crouched, ready to run. “Not bad, kid. Your technique is off, though. You don't wanna keep your arm pressed against the mark’s back, though. You wanna snake your way around, so they don't feel it.”

She stared at him hard, not sure what he was doing. She had tried to steal from him, and now he was giving her tips? 

He sighed, reaching into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He grabbed something from it and threw it her way. She jumped back, too used to people throwing hard, painful things at her. A hundred lien chit clattered to the ground.

For a long moment, they just stood there. He stared at her, and her gaze flickered from him to the money.

“Do you intend to take it, or are you just gonna leave it for someone else?” he drawled. She scrambled forward and snatched the money, then scrambled back. “Earn it next time, kid. There's no such thing as a free lunch, got it?”

Slowly, she nodded, not taking her eyes off of him. 

“Good, now scram,” he said, waving her away. She dashed off, clutching the money to her chest. She wanted to spend it and eat, before anyone could take it from her.

* * *

A few days later, she saw him again. Same nice clothes, same cocky attitude, same orange hair. She narrowed her eyes, watching him swagger past. Thanks to his advice, she was able to lift a couple of wallets. She almost got caught twice as many times, but she'd eaten better than she had since she came to the city.

She fell into step behind him. Last time, he had noticed her reaching for his pocket. This time, she wouldn't get caught.

Again, she bumped into him, and again she reached for pocket. This time, she followed his advice. Her arm snaked around his body, nice and careful.

A vice grip closed around her wrist. She tried to pull away, to run, but he held her too tight.

“Hello again,” he said with a grin. She jerked and pulled, trying to break his grip. Bad things happened to kids that got caught. 

“You took my advice, good,” he continued, talking as if this were some casual conversation between friends. “You need a lot more work though. Try putting your other hand on the mark's shoulder. Distract them from their pockets.”

He let her go, and she jumped back. He smiled at her, putting his hands in his pocket. He was doing it again, being nice to her. Why? No one was every nice to her.

Before he could say anything else, she turned and ran. She was confused, and that confusion scared her.

* * *

 

It seemed every week she saw him. Every time she tried again to pick his pocket. Every time he caught her. Every time he gave her advice, then let her go. After the third or fourth try, it became a matter of pride. She desperately wanted to get his wallet, to prove herself. She wasn't sure why, but she had to.

This was attempt twenty, by her count. She had gotten good over the last couple of months. Almost no one noticed her hand in their pocket. She was eating good because of it. Not good enough that she stopped being hungry, but good enough that it didn't hurt at night when she tried to sleep. Still, she couldn't get past him.

Again, she fell into step behind him. She moved like a phantom barely brushing him, her hand barely touching him. She felt leather, and pulled away. 

“Hey watch- oh it's you again,” he said. She turned to face him and held up her prize, his wallet held between her fingers. He grinned, and for some reason that filled her with warmth.

“Well look at that, you finally got it kid,” he said, sounding almost proud. “Why don't you open it up. To the victor go the spoils, after all.”

She didn't know what that meant, but she intended to do exactly as he suggested. Eagerly, she opened his wallet and looked in to find… nothing. It was empty. He started laughing as she turned it over and shook it. As if that would reveal some hidden stash of lien. It didn't, of course. She looked up at him in confusion.

“Sorry kid, but I'm flat broke,” he said with a shrug, still laughing. “Guess you wasted your time on me, huh?”

She'd spent over three months trying to pick his pocket, for nothing. She wanted to be mad, but his laughter was so nice. A smile forced its way onto her face, and her shoulders started to shake with silent laughter.

“That's funny, huh?” he asked, “here's the best part. I'm no better off than you! You just spent all that time trying to steal from another homeless kid!”

He howled with laughter, slapping his knee. She, however, stopped. He was just as bad as her? But he had given her money the first time they met. Had that been all his money? 

She reached out and grabbed his hand, cutting his laughter short.

“Hm? What is it?” he asked as she tugged on his hand. “You want me to come with you?”

She nodded, trying to pull him. Even though they had to be near the same age, she was so much smaller than him. She couldn't budge him.

“Where are we going?” he asked, taking a few steps. She shook her head and tugged harder. He laughed softly and started following her. “Not much of a talker, are you kid?”

She shook her head again.

He let her pull him on. Through the back alleys, across the streets, until they came to a park.

“Are you sure this is the best idea?” he asked, pulling her to a stop. “People like us aren't usually welcome at places like this.”

She nodded and tugged on his arm. He was right, of course. Dirty, smelly children like them usually got chased out of nice public places like parks. She knew what she was doing, though. 

He sighed, like he knew this was a bad idea, but followed her anyway.

On the corner, an ice cream vendor leaned against his cart. She ran up, waving at him.

“You're back, huh,” he grumbled, looking down at her. “You and your little friend better have money. I'm not giving you another freebie.”

She beamed and held out a hundred lien chit, then held up two fingers. He took the money and examined it carefully, as if he expected it to be fake. With a sigh, he put it in his apron then turned to his cart.

“Hey, carrot top. What flavor do you want?” he asked.

The boy seemed stunned. Uncertainly, he said, “I'll have what she's having.”

The man shrugged and handed each of them a single scoop cone of swirled neapolitan. The girl took it eagerly. She loved ice cream. The boy, still confused, took it like he expected it to bite.

“Alright, now get, both of you,” he barked, jerking his thumb. “You'll scare away my customers.”

The girl nodded and waved, then grabbed the boy's hand and pulled him away. Once they were safe and alone, she started into her ice cream happily.

The boy looked at it uncertainly, but took a lick. He smiled, “Oh that's good!”

She nodded happily, savoring her treat. Ice cream always reminded her of home. It made her feel safe for just a moment. It had been too long since she'd been able to have some.

“Say, what's your name?” he asked. She frowned. What had her name been? It had been so long since anyone had said it. Could she tell him, even if she could talk? She shrugged.

“Haven't you got a name? I can't just keep calling you kid, can I?” She shrugged again.

“Well, what do you want me to call you?” Another shrug.

He narrowed his eyes, frowning at her. “Can you not talk?”

She frowned in return, worried. Would he call her a freak too? Chase her away because she never made a sound or because her eyes wouldn't stay one color? Slowly, she shook her head.

“Well… we'll figure that out,” he said with a shrug. He went to lick his ice cream, but froze. His gaze went from the ice cream to her, back to the ice cream, then back to her. “Has anyone ever told you that you look a bit like neapolitan ice cream?”

She stopped then, staring down at her own treat. She had never noticed it before, but now that he mentioned it she could see it. White, brown, and pink. Just like her hair, and the colors her eyes cycled through.

“Hm. How about I call you Neo?” he asked, watching her carefully. 

She frowned, considering it. Neo. It had a good sound to it. She smiled and nodded.

“Alright then, it's nice to meet you Neo. My name is Roman. Roman Torchwick,” he said, returning her smile. “I get the feeling this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over fifty hits already, wow! I feel all warm and fuzzy inside that so many people like my writing. I hope it lives up to y'all's standards.
> 
> Well, here he is, the garbage boy himself Roman Torchwick has arrived. Yup, even when he was a kid he was a cocky little shit. Did you expect anything else? Anyway, things are gonna be relatively happy for a chapter or two. So enjoy it!
> 
> While it lasts.


	5. Chapter 5

“Come on Neo! It's this way!” Roman said. He held her hand in his own and together they ran through the streets. Her shoulders shook with silent laughter as she followed her only friend in the world. “I'm telling you, you're gonna love this.”

What started as a chance meeting two years ago became an unbreakable bond. Roman and Neo were never apart, and together they did far better than they ever could alone. They ate almost every single day, sometimes more than once a day. They even had a blanket they shared, keeping them warm on the cold nights.

Neo couldn't remember how old she was, the days had blended together before she met Roman. So, he decided she was eight. One year younger than him. Neo liked that

Neo couldn't remember her birthday, either. There hadn't been much to celebrate. Roman was appalled. Birthdays were important, he had said, so she had to have one. June first, he decided. The day he gave Neo her name. The day their friendship began. Neo liked that too.

Today was June first. Her tenth birthday. Roman had said he had a surprise for her. A birthday present. She couldn't remember the last time she'd gotten a present.

“Almost there Neo,” he promised. They ran up a set of stone stairs and into a nice looking building. Inside were more books than she'd ever seen before. Neo slowly looked around the room, awed by this much of anything.

“It's called a library,” he whispered, pulling her on. “We've got to be quiet though. It's the rules.”

Neo gave him an amused look.

“Well I know that's not a problem for you, but still,” Roman said. He always seemed to know just what she was trying to say. “And we have to care about this rule. If we get kicked out then we can't get your present. Okay?”

She grinned and nodded, excited again. She could follow the rules of it meant a present from Roman.

“Okay let's see, it should be… here!” he pulled a book off the shelf, then led her to a table at the back.

“Can you read this, Neo?” he asked, setting the book before him.

Neo narrowed her eyes, slowly tracing the letters with her fingers. She knew how to read a little, but there were two big words on the cover she didn't know. Neo shook her head, looking to Roman for help. He knew how to read. He seemed to know a lot.

“It says sign language for beginners,” he explained, tracing the words with his finger. She tilted her head in confusion. What was sign language? Roman, once again, seemed to understand her perfectly. He opened the book, and inside were diagrams of different hand signals. “It's a way of talking with your hands. You move them in certain ways to make words, and I will be able to read them. You'll be able to talk!”

Neo stared at the book with wide eyes. She'd be able to talk to Roman? Really talk to him? This would let her say all the things she couldn't say with a look or a tilt of her head. The idea left her reeling.

“Unless… you don't want to,” Roman added, sounding a bit worried. He didn't know what had happened to her to take her voice, but he knew it left her scarred. Clearly, he was concerned sign language was against whatever rule she has set for herself. He had mistaken her excitement for a mental break.

Neo smiled at Roman. She smiled so wide her cheeks hurt, but she still felt like her smile wasn't big enough. The idea of being able to talk to Roman made her feel like she could fly. She started bouncing in her chair, pointing at the book.

“You wanna learn?” he asked, sounding hopeful. She nodded excitedly, and he laughed. Quietly. “Alright, let's start with the alphabet. That way you can spell things out while you're learning the words.”

She nodded again, leaning in as he opened the book. 

“Okay let's see here…” he hummed, flipping through the book. “Here we go. This is for A. Do it like this, Neo.”

* * *

They practiced all afternoon, until Neo's fingers cramped and she couldn't form another letter. She had gotten very dexterous over the last couple of years, dipping into other's wallets, but this was so unlike anything she had had to do before. She'd managed to learn the whole alphabet, though, so she was pleased.

“It'll come with time and practice,” Roman promised as he tucked the book under his shirt. He explained that most kids could borrow books for nothing from here, but since they didn't have an address they couldn't get a library card. So they were stealing the book. Neo's present. She didn't mind that one bit.

Together, they snuck out of the library. It wasn't like there was a lot of security, but they were technically stealing.

Neo had a surprise for Roman too, or at least she did now. She waited until they were away from the library, then she stopped Roman.

“Hm? What's up?” he asked, turning to face her. He looked silly with the book held under his shirt. The corners were clearly visible, poking through. He was doing it for her, though, and that made her feel warmer than she'd ever felt.

She started spelling with her hands, her aching fingers moving slowly. Roman watched carefully, saying the letters aloud.

“T. H. A. M. No wait that's an N isn't it?” Neo nodded, and they kept going. “T, H, A, N. K. Y. O. U.”

Neo beamed with excitement, nodding hard. He had gotten it! Roman grinned back, and pulled her into a hug. She liked it when he hugged her. It felt safe and warm.

“You're welcome, Neo,” he whispered. He pulled back suddenly, grinning in that way that told Neo he had an idea. “You know what? Your birthday isn't over. Come on, I've got another surprise for you!”

Before she could argue, such as it was, he grabbed her hand and pulled her along. What more could he possibly give her? He'd already given her the gift of speech! A gift so profound she was still having trouble wrapping her head around it.

Together they ran through the city, as they often did. He held the book under his arm, so it wouldn't fall out of his shirt and onto the ground. They ran until the came to a familiar park, a familiar corner.

“Good evening my good man,” Roman greeted the grumpy man running the ice cream stand. He seemed about ready to pack up.

“You have got to be the most stuck up homeless kid I've met in my life,” he grumbled.

“Attitude is everything!” Roman answered, producing a lien card seemingly from thin air. Neo knew he'd pulled it from his sleeve, though. They both spent hours practicing little things like that, to improve their sleight of hand.

The man took the card and looked at it disdainfully. “Only enough for one here.”

“Well then it's a good thing I only want one, isn't it?” Roman responded with a sly smile. The man shrugged and reached into his cart to get the cone. Neo though, frowned. She thought they were out of money, had he been hiding that? And why was he only getting one cone, they always got two.

The man handed the neapolitan cone to Roman, who in turn handed it to Neo.

“Pleasure doing business with you,” Roman said amicably.

“Whatever, kid,” the man grumbled, “get out of here. I'm closing up.”

Roman doffed an imaginary hat, then pulled Neo away. She stared down at her namesake in confusion. No, this wasn't right. They shared everything… Well, Neo decided, they'd share this too.

Roman slowed them to a walk once they left the park. He grinned at Neo, waiting for her to start on her treat. She did, taking a few licks, and he smiled wider.

“Happy birthday Neo,” he said as they walked comfortably to the spot they'd been calling home for the last month. After a few more licks, Neo held the ice cream out to Roman, her own smile spreading. “Huh? No no, it's for you. That's how it works Neo. It's your birthday present, so it's just for you.”

Neo shook her head, pointed at the book, then held the ice cream closer to Roman's mouth. 

“Well I know I already got you one present,” Roman said, figuring out what she meant. “But I wanted to get you two. And I know how much you like ice cream…”

She frowned and pointed an accusatory finger at his pocket.

“Well yes, we were out of money but, er, I found it,” he offered. She huffed, glaring at him. Roman was a good liar, as long as he wasn't trying to lie to her. “Okay fine, I tucked away a little bit so I could buy you ice cream. But it's a special occasion!”

Neo pushed the ice cream even closer to Roman's mouth, threatening to push it into his face. Either they'd share, or he'd end up wearing it!

“Okay, okay!” Roman had, taking the ice cream. “Twist my arm why don't you.”

She grinned as Roman took a few licks of the frozen treat. Good, that was how it should be. Partners and equals.

They walked in comfortable silence after that, passing the cone back and forth. By the time they turned into their alley, the ice cream was gone and all that was left was the cone.

A few months ago, they'd found an abandoned chest freezer. It smelled funny, and it barely fit the two of them, but it had been warm on cold nights. And neither minded the close quarters. They always slept better together.

Roman hid the book in a trash can they were using for storage. City officials didn't come through here often, so they weren't worried about anything being taken by garbage crews. That done, he climbed into the freezer and held out a hand for Neo

Neo carefully broke the waffle cone in half, and held one out to Roman. He shook his head with an amused smile.

“Nah. I'm not really all that hungry after our breakfast and the ice cream. You finish it, okay?” he said.

Neo frowned and thrust it at him. They were supposed to share it!

Roman laughed, holding up his hands defensively. “Honestly, I don't want it. Now stop arguing and come on. I'm tired.”

Reluctantly, she kept the whole cone and let Roman help her into the chest freezer. They settled themselves, him sitting up and her curled up on his lap. He started stroking her hair as she eagerly finished her present. She couldn't make him take it if he didn't want it, she reasoned. Besides, he said he was full.

“Goodnight Neo,” he yawned, his eyes drifting closed. “Happy birthday…”

She smiled, listening to him snore. She was happy with Roman. Happier than she'd ever been. They took care of each other.

A sound filled the box that stole her smile, though. A sound that filled her with worry.

Roman's stomach had just growled with hunger. Loudly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy if you loved cocky Roman last chapter, you're gonna love him in this one! He's really starting to adopt the persona we see him with in the show, and lemme tell you that fun as hell to write.
> 
> The cracks are starting to show in Neo's and Roman's relationship. Believe it or not living in the street with your best friend isn't all sunshine and rainbows. Shocking, right? Don't worry though, this is far from the last time we'll see them happy.


	6. Chapter 6

Neo was cold. Winters were always hard, but this one was particularly bitter. It was a miracle neither of them had gotten sick.

She made sure her jacket, too thin for this weather but better than nothing, was zipped all the way up, and pulled her knees to her chest. She was on their makeshift bed, which really was just all the cardboard they could find laid flat with a ratty, tattered wool blanket on top. It wasn't much, but it was better than laying directly on the freezing pavement.

Neo had turned eleven last June. It was December now, the middle of winter. A bigger kid with a bat had chased them out of their chest freezer home last year, and Neo wished more than anything they could have it back.

Sometimes, in the middle of the night when it was coldest and her fingers were going numb, Neo wondered if she'd die here. If she'd freeze to death in an alley. Then she really would be Neapolitan.

Neo let out a bitter laugh, which for her was just a harsh release of air through her nose. Roman looked at her over his shoulder, an eyebrow cocked. He'd spent a lot of time working on that useless skill.

“Remember a joke?” he asked through chattering teeth. Even like this, half frozen and hungry, he still had that devil may care attitude. She admired that about him.

“Something like that,” her shaking fingers answered. Thanks to Roman and a lot of practice, she'd all but mastered sign language. “A really bad joke. Hurry up and come to bed. I'm freezing and you're warm.’

“Just a second, I gotta find something,” he muttered, turning to his backpack. They each had one, to hold what few possessions they had. Neo still had the book Roman had stolen for her. Sure she didn't need it anymore, but it was special.

“Got it!” Roman declared proudly. “Close your eyes.”

Neo sighed in annoyance, but did as she was told. They wouldn't get any sleep until she did. He was always like this, being dramatic and over the top. It was a bit endearing, when it didn't involve Neo freezing to death while she waited. She hugged her knees and waited impatiently for whatever it was he was gonna do.

Something was draped over her shoulders and Neo stiffened, resisting the urge to bolt. Unexpected touch was hard for both of them, mostly because it usually ended in pain.

“I know, I know, I'm sorry,” Roman said quickly, trying to soothe her no doubt. “But I wanted it to be a surprise. Trust me, it'll be worth it, take a look.”

Neo opened her eyes and looked down to see what was wrapped around her. She stiffened again, her eyes opening wide in disbelief. A winter coat was hanging over her shoulders, thick and sturdy. And big, too big for her by at least a couple sizes.

“I know it's a bit big, but you're growing everyday. It's only a matter of time before it fits you, right?” Roman said. His body shook with shivers. He smiled at her, his lips pale and teeth chattering. “You wouldn't believe how long I saved up to get this. I know it's late for your birthday, but-”

_ CRACK! _

Roman was left staring at the alley wall, his head forced to the side by Neo's slap. Her hand stung. Roman's cheek was red, it probably stung too.

“Wha-”

“You idiot.” Neo was looking down at her knees, but her fingers were moving fast and sharp. A sure sign she was mad.

“What are you talking about Neo? I got you -”

“Shut up,” Neo signed, cutting him off again. She looked up to meet his eyes, and felt her own sting with tears. “You always do this. Give yourself less so that you can give me more.”

Roman opened his mouth to argue, but the fear and worry plaguing Neo's face silenced him.

“What good is this stupid jacket if you freeze to death?” she demanded. She tried not to imagine it, waking up next to a cold, lifeless Roman. His pretty face peaceful and frozen in a final sleep. Her gut twisted at the very idea.

Roman put a hand on her cheek, smiling at her. “You can live without me, Neo. I've taught you everything you need; sign, pickpocketing, even lockpicking. You-”

Another slap silenced him. Roman gingerly touched his own cheek, looking more shocked than anything. Neo had never raised a hand at anyone before. Now she’d hit him twice.

“I can't live without you,” she insisted. Tears were flowing freely now, and her shoulders heaved with silent sobs. “You're the only person I have. I can't be alone again, I can't do this without you, I can't-”

Roman cut Neo off this time, pulling her until a tight hug. “I’m sorry...”

The two children sat like that for a long time. Huddled together for more than warmth, crying silently. The dark alley was quiet around them, or as quiet as an alley in the city can be. Finally, Neo pulled away so her hands were free, she had more to say.

“Do you remember the day we met?” She asked. She rubbed her eyes and cheeks dry with her forearm. It wasn't cold enough to freeze her tears quickly, but there was no sense in having wet cheeks

“When you tried to pick my pocket?” He asked softly, a faint smile pulling at her lips.

Neo nodded with her own smile, sniffling. It was a good memory for both if them, the start of everything. “You gave me money. Was it all you had?”

“I don't remember Neo, that was years ago,” Roman complained. Neo glared at him, he still couldn't lie to her. Not convincingly, anyway. Roman sighed in defeat, “Yeah. That was my last hundred lien.”

Neo nodded. She'd known for a while now. It was nice to hear it confirmed, though. “And do you remember what I did when I got your wallet?”

“Of course, that's your birthday. The day we became friends. You went out and bought ice cream.”

“I bought  _ us _ ice cream,” she specified. “Enough for both of us. That's how it should be. We're partners, right?”

“Of course we're partners, Neo, but-”

“Partners, right?” Neo interrupted, her fingers fast and sharp.

Roman sighed in defeat, “Right…”

Neo nodded, satisfied. “Then we have to split everything evenly. No more giving me bigger portions or spending your lien on me. Okay?”

Roman frowned, staring down at the ground between them. Something was eating him up inside, the same way this had been eating at Neo. She tilted her head, giving him an inquisitive look.

He moved suddenly, wrapping Neo in a far tighter hug than before. It was like he was afraid she'd disappear if he let go.

“You deserve so much better than this, Neo,” he whispered. Neo had never heard him so upset, so emotional. His voice trembled and she could feel his wet cheek pressed against her. “You deserve a loving family. A warm house and a comfortable bed. Three meals a day. A dog. You deserve to be happy.”

Reluctantly, he pulled away. His face was lowered, and he couldn't seem to meet her gaze. “I can't give you those things. I want to, twin gods do I want to Neo. I would give up anything for you to have a normal life, the life you deserve. But I can't. You deserve so much better than this. You deserve so much better than me.”

Neo was stunned. This was why he gave her so much, even if it meant going without. He thought he wasn't good enough for her?

The tears still flowed, but Neo found herself smiling. Warmth bubbled up in her, filling her up until it overflowed, pouring out of her mouth.

“Neo what… are you laughing?” Roman finally looked up, stunned. It was rough, cracking, and wispy, but yes she was laughing. The first sound she'd made in years. “Hey that's not very nice. I'm pouring my heart out here and you're laughing at me!”

“For a smart guy, you can be really stupid sometimes,” she signed, gasping her laughter into silence. It made her throat hurt. Roman frowned deeper and started to stand up, probably to leave. Neo grabbed his arm and yanked him back down. “I don't need all that stuff. A house, a family, a dog, whatever. I don’t need it. I need you, Roman.”

Roman was watching her carefully. Was this how she had looked at him the first time they met, she wondered? Scared, hopeful, confused. It was certainly how she had felt.

“I know you wanna take care of me, but it hurts me to see you go without. It kills me to think that you’re hungry so that I can eat, or you’re cold so that I can be warm. I don’t want to live like that. I’d rather be cold and starving with you than hot and full without you. Don’t you get that?.

“I … think I’m starting to,” Roman answered softly, cautiously, “I’m sorry Neo I just … I want you to be happy.”

“Then stay with me. Let me share with you, and let me take care of you too,” she said. “That’s all I need. Promise?”

“Okay,” he said, clearly trying to hold back tears. “I promise. I’ll stay with you.”

“Good. Now put this jacket on.”

“Wha- but Neo -”

“Put it on and then I’ll sit on your lap and share it with you,” Neo added, staring hard at him. “We can both fit, which means we can both be warm, at least for tonight.”

“Right. That’s... a smart idea,” Roman agreed, sounding annoyed he hadn’t come up with it himself. He shrugged on the jacket, then leaned back against the wall. Neo eagerly climbed onto his lap. Once she stopped squirming, he pulled the jacket closed and zipped it around them both. It was tight, but neither of them minded. It was comfortably, familiar. And, mercifully, they were both warming up now.

Roman wrapped his arms around her, which from the outside looked more like him hugging himself. She snuggled back into him with a happy sigh. Everything seemed so much better now that she wasn't worrying about Roman going without. 

As she relaxed and felt herself start to drift to sleep, Roman started to sing.

“Long ago, before we met   
I dreamed about you.   
The peace you'd bring,   
The songs we'd sing,   
The way you'd make things new.   
Then one day, you arrived.   
I heard your angel cry.   
Helpless, small, and perfect   
Welcome to your life   
And on that day, I made a vow   
Whispered and true   
No matter what, no matter how   
I made this promise to you   
I will cling, I will clutch   
I'll hold onto you, I won't turn away   
I won't leave, I won't go   
I will stay with you all our days… I'll always be with you Neo. I… I … goodnight Neo…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew. That took a lot longer than I expected to get out. Sadly, my vacation is over so I probably won't be able to update as often as I had. I'm gonna shoot for once a week though, that feels achievable. If not, feel free to string me up or whatever it is we do these days.
> 
> So here we see Roman isn't all attitude and confidence. He's just as scared and hurting as Neo, just better at hiding it. 
> 
> Coming up, Roman and Neo get a taste of true crime. And, maybe, we'll start to see a bit of Roman's tragic anime backstory. Everyone has to have one I don't make the rules sorry.
> 
> Also, can I just say how proud I am of the attention this is getting? Over ten kudos, over a hundred views. Y'all are amazing and I'm glad you guys are liking it. I'm gonna do everything I can to make sure future chapters are just as good!


	7. Chapter 7

“Then the second guy says ‘Now  _ that's _ a katana!’. Eh! Get it?”

Neo shook her head, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

Roman groaned, throwing his head back in defeat, “I thought for sure that one would do it …”

Neo shrugged, smiling innocently. He'd been trying to make her laugh again, really laugh, for five months now. Every joke, crack, and snarky comment he could think of, but still not a peep out of Neo. She found the whole thing amusing, and a little cute.

“You're a brick wall, Neo. Unshakable, I respect that,” Roman declared, a little dramatically, “but I'll get you to crack. I'll hear that laugh again, I swear it!”

Again, Neo's shoulders shook and this time she covered her mouth with her hand. Roman grinned at her, folding his hands behind his head.

Winter had passed, but the spring air still had bite. So they were on their way to buy themselves jackets. Something more comfortable and not as heavy as the massive winter coat they still shared at night.

“So I'm thinking if we put our money together we can get you a really nice coat, then I can just use the big one,” Roman said as they walked.

Neo poked him in the kidney and huffed. She would've hit him upside the head, but she couldn't reach. He was always taller than her, but that gap seemed to be widening every day.

“Ouch! Okay, okay. I give up,” Roman said, holding up his hands in surrender. “We split the money down the center, I buy your coat and you buy mine. Fair?”

Neo nodded, much more satisfied with that deal. He was getting better about not screwing himself to give her a bigger portion, but he needed an occasional… gentle reminder.

A cane rose up in front of them, blocking their way. Neo and Roman all but jumped back as a trio of men walked out of the alley they were passing.

“Well, well, well. Wot 'ave we 'ere?” the man with the cane, clearly the leader, asked. He twirled his cane, letting it come to rest in his shoulder.

“Looks like a couple 'a rats scurrin’ down our street,” one of his cohorts answered. Ironic, considering how much he himself looked like a rat.

They were all three dressed well enough, looking almost like respectable people in that regard. What's worse, they were armed. The leader has his cane, the second man had a knife stuck in his belt, and the third hefted a heavy looking pipe.

“I believe you're roight, Reginald. Burtrand, wot 'appens to li’l rats wot come down our street?”

The third man, largest by a margin, grinned a rotten grin. “Vermin gets squashed, boss.”

“Roight you are, Burtrand, roight you are.”

Roman grabbed Neo's shoulder and turned her around. Only to see two more armed goons behind them.

“Gentlemen, gentlemen. There's no need for any squashing. I'm sure we can reach some amicable agreement,” Roman said with a laugh, holding up his hands to show he was peaceful.

The boss held up his cane again, this time stopping his henchmen.

“An’ wot did you 'ave in mind, lad?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at Roman.

“Perhaps a …” Roman's eyes moved wildly as his mind worked to find a way out. He smiled at the leader, having found one quickly. “A toll, of course. This is your road, after all, and might I say what a fine road it is. It's only fair that we pay for the right to use it.”

The leader grinned, slowly lowering his cane. “Not a bad idea… Oilright, li’l rats. We’ll let ya go, if you pay the toll.”

“How very generous, and might I say wise, of you,” Roman said, doing an impressive job of hiding his distaste. 

Neo looked between the five, sizing the situation up. There was no way in hell a fight was possible. Even if they weren't armed and outnumbering them. Neo and Roman were much smaller and most likely weaker. The front and back were blocked by the goons, the left by the building, and the right by a large truck. Neo wondered if they'd parked it there themselves, to set this little trap. It was very effective, so far as ambushes went.

“We have seven thousand lien,” Roman said. Slowly, to avoid starting anyone, he reached for the front pocket he kept his wallet in. “A fine price for using this fine bit of infrastructure, wouldn't you agree?”

The man laughed a low, dark laugh, shaking his head. “Oh moi young lad, I'm 'fraid the toll is ten thousand. Each. Looks like you're a bit… short.”

He laughed again, tapping Roman on the top of his head with his cane. Neo clenched her fists. She couldn't believe these scumbags were mocking them while robbing them.

“Ah. Well, lucky for us both we happen to have more lien at our hideout. If you excuse us, we'd be more than happy to retrieve it for you.”

“Oh, I don't think that’ll be needed,” he said with another foul grin. Neo felt herself shiver, and it wasn’t from the cold. “I think the girl is fair pay, don't you?”

“I'm sorry, what?” Roman was, for once, visibly shaken. That, more than anything else, scared Neo. His poker face almost never slipped, especially in serious situations  She clenched her fists, tensing up.

“Did I misspeak, Reginald?” the still unnamed boss asked.

“Don't believe so,” the ratty man said, sneering at the kids.

“Di’n’t think so. 's simple lad, give us the girl an’ your free to go.” he rested his hands on his cane. “Bit 'o cleanin’ up and I think we could make a roight pre’ey penny off her.”

Roman tensed just as much as Neo was, but Neo could tell it was just as much rage as fear. These goons had just shot to the top of Roman's shit list. His poker face was back, though, so Neo doubted they noticed.

“I see. That sounds reasonable,” Roman said slowly. His hands moved subtly as he spoke, he was talking to her in sign. He said, “When I give the signal, run. Just get out of here.”

Neo's teeth ground together. He expected her to just leave him? Fat chance!

“Neo, now!” Roman cried. He tried to rush at the lead man, surprising him enough that he took a step back. Roman was just as surprised when Neo grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him towards the truck. For once, she was thankful for their light diet. If he was any heavier, she wouldn't have been able to pull him. She dropped to the ground and crawled under the truck. Mercifully, Roman was smart enough not to fight her.

“Please tell me you know what you’re doing?” Roman hissed. Neo nodded and they belly crawled under the truck to the other side.

“Don’t jus’ stan’ there! After ‘em you idiots!” the boss shouted. They could hear lackeys jump into action as they reached the other side. They didn’t have much time. Neo grabbed Roman’s hand and pulled him to his feet. Together, they ran.

“Neo, lemme go! I can slow them down for you!” Roman insisted. Neo shook her head hard, tugging him along. She wouldn’t leave him, not even if her own life depended on it. In this case it might, but that only proved her conviction!

They crossed the street and into another alley. The five thugs followed, hurling insults and threats. Thankfully, that was all they were hurling.

Now that they were out of the open, it was easier for Neo and Roman. They had years of experience running from bigger, stronger people in back alleys. They pushed over trash cans, dived through tight spaces, anything they could think of to lose their pursuers. 

The men were relentless, though, and nothing seemed to shake them. No matter what the two children did, they could hear the men following. Finally, they ran out of places to run.

“A dead end!” Roman hissed. He glared at the wall, like that might make it disappear. Even worse, there was nowhere to hide. No dumpsters to crawl behind or piles of trash bags to hide in. Again, they were trapped.

The heavy thumping of footsteps rang out. They were getting close. If they turned back now, they're just run face first into the men they were trying to escape.

Roman pushed Neo behind him then raised his fists. “Stay behind me Neo. Everything will be okay.”

Those words rang in Neo's head, dragging up memories she'd managed to forget. Memories of her mom, of the day she lost her.

_ Thump thump thump. _

“Everything will be okay, Neo. You just got to stay really quiet, okay?” her mother whispered.

They were getting closer. Neo had to do something, she couldn't lose everything, not again. She had to protect Roman.

“Promise me, Neo. Promise me you'll be quiet as a little mouse, okay? Not a sound.”

Neo grabbed him and shoved him in a corner. She raised a finger to his lips, shushing him before he could argue. They had to be quiet, quiet as a little mouse. They had to hide.

Neo pressed against Roman, shoving him farther into the corner. She felt… something rise up around her. Like a wall. It was cold and hard, but Neo found it comforting. Somehow, she knew she'd put it there, and that it would protect them. As long as they stayed quiet. 

“Neo, what-”

Neo put her hand over his mouth, silencing him again.

“I heard them, this way!”

The five men turned until the alley as a group. Roman shook, but Neo held her hand tight over his mouth. Quiet as a little mouse. One of the men looked straight at Neo, right into her eyes, then… he looked away. All five scanned the alley, eyes sliding right past them.

“There's nothin’ 'ere you useless lout!” the leader cried, hitting one of his lackeys with his cane. Roman's eyes widened in shock, then turned to Neo. Silently, she raised a finger to her lips. Just a little longer.

“Yeah but I heard-” the abused goon tried to defend himself, but just got another cane hit for his trouble.

“You 'eard a rat or pigeon or somethin’ else completely useless, tha's wot you 'eard!” the boss snarled. “Now come on. Gods know where they've run off too. If we're lucky, we c’n still catch 'em.”

They five turned and ran off, one nursing his sore shoulder. Roman tried to move after they left, but Neo shoved him back into the corner and held him still. Not yet…

Slowly, she counted in her head. Only when she reached sixty did she relax, letting go of Roman. With a sound of shattering glass, she felt the cold, hard wall pressure at her back vanish. Neo felt suddenly drained, like she'd been running for hours. She realized she was wet with sweat as her legs gave out.

“Neo!” Roman hissed. He barely managed to catch her before she hit the ground. “Are you okay? What just happened? Why didn't they see us?”

Roman peppered her with questions, but Neo just wanted to rest.

“Tired,” she answered, her fingers moving sluggishly. “We needed to hide, made us a hiding place. Not sure how, but it worked.”

“You… made us a hiding place?” Roman asked, looking confused for a moment. Realization dawned on his face, then an excited smile. “Neo! I think you just unlocked your semblance!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually had a lot of trouble writing this one. It went through a lot of iterations before I was satisfied. Honestly I'm still not totally satisfied. I knew I wanted Neo to get her semblance this chapter, and I knew I wanted it to unlock when they had to hide from some really bad folks. It was just the how that was giving me trouble. I honestly could've spent another week or more reworking this, but sometimes you reach a point where you just gotta call it and move on.


	8. Chapter 8

Roman tried to help her to her feet, but Neo just didn't have the energy to stay up. She had no choice but to put all her weight on him. He wasn't about to let her fall, though.

“You must've used all of your aura,” he said, frowning. Neo didn't really know what that meant, but clearly Roman wasn't pleased about it. He leaned down and put his arm at the back of her knees. Then she was airborne, Roman holding her bridal style. “We'll have to get you some food, and let you rest.”

Neo tried to argue, but her hands couldn't form the words. She was drained, and now that the adrenaline was wearing off her body was demanding a break. One Roman was more than happy to provide. She leaned her head against his chest, letting herself relax.

“You saved me, and now I get to take care of you. It’s only fair,” Roman insisted. She sighed and nodded in agreement. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right.

It took longer than it normally did to get to their little corner of the city, but that wasn't surprising considering Roman was having to carry her. She was impressed by his strength, but by the time they got there he was panting and his arms were trembling. He set her on the makeshift bed, then dropped to his knees with a tired sigh.

“Neo, have you been putting on weight?” he asked wryly, once she had her breath back. She shot him a tired glare, and he laughed. “Okay, geez. No need to bite my head off.”

She rolled her eyes and tried to push herself up on her elbows. Roman gently pushed her back down, shaking his head.

“Don't push yourself right now. You just unlocked your aura and used it all at the same time,” he said, though she only understand about half of it. “Stay here. Rest. I'll go get you some food.”

Neo frowned, and worked her hands slowly and carefully. “Jackets?”

“We can worry about that later. This is more important. Just, trust me on this, okay?”

Slowly, Neo nodded. There were a lot of things Roman couldn't and shouldn't be trusted with, but this wasn't one of those things. He'd take care of her, and once she got her strength back she'd take care of him.

“You're gonna explain,” she said.

Roman nodded, “once you've rested, I'll help you understand all of this. Swear it.”

Neo nodded in return, settling onto the pile of cardboard and ratty blanket. Roman draped the heavy jacket over her and gently kissed her forehead. She liked that. It made her feel warm.

“I'll be back soon, just gonna get you some food,” he promised, pulling himself up.

Neo tried to get her hands out from under the jacket, but it was surprisingly heavy. Or she was surprisingly weakened. She whined softly, causing Roman to look back.

“I'll be careful. No matter what, Neo, I promise I'll always come back to you,” he said, softer and kinder than anything she'd heard him say before. It filled Neo with a pleasant warmth and again, she nodded. Roman gave her one last smile, then dashed off to get her food. 

Neo waited as best she could, but she was just so tired. Her eyelids felt heavier and heavier. As she drifted off to sleep, Roman's words echoed in her mind.

“I promise I'll always come back to you.”

She smiled, snuggling into the jacket.

* * *

 

“Neo. Neo, wake up.”

Roman gently shook Neo awake. She pulled herself up into a sitting position, the smell of noodles filling the air. The nap had helped, but she still feel exhausted, and the food made her stomach grumble.

“Gotcha lunch,” he said, holding up a couple of cups of ramen. One for each of them. Neo took hers and settled herself in. Roman opened his with a smile, “Dig in. You need to recharge.”

“Fine. But you talk while we do, okay?” Neo said, resting the cup in her lap. “You got to explain all this stuff, okay?”

Roman sighed. “Alright, fair’s fair.”

He stared at her expectantly. She rolled her eyes and sighed. He wasn’t going to start talking until she started eating. She slurped up a mouthful of noodles, giving Roman an expectant look of her own. He sighed again, and started his explanation.

“Every living thing has a soul. The birds, the beasts, faunus and humans. Even you and me. It's a part of us, it is us. Just as much as our body and mind. We can use our bodies and minds to protect us, and we can use our souls too, if we train it. A human or faunus can manifest their soul as an aura, a defensive barrier.”

“Is that what protected us? My aura?” Neo asked, her mouthful of noodles. She really was hungry, as it turned out, and shrimp ramen was her favorite.

“In a way, yes. But not exactly in the way you're thinking,” he answered. “If a situation is bad enough, a person's aura will manifest in a unique ability. A semblance. No two are alike, but they're always useful. Some people have incredible speed, some can use elements like metal or electricity, some can copy themselves temporarily. Two things all semblances have in common though, is that you can use them to protect yourself and that it runs off your aura. No aura, no semblance.”

“And no weird magic shield?”

Roman laughed. “Yeah. No aura, no barrier.”

“If my aura is my soul and I run out does that mean my soul is empty?” Roman had said she'd used up all her aura. Did that mean she was soulless now? Was she gonna turn it a Grimm?

“Breathe, Neo. I can practically hear you overthinking this. You'll be fine,” Roman promised, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Think about it this way. If your a car, your soul is the gas tank and your aura is the gas. If you run out of fuel that doesn't mean the tank is gone, you just need to fill it up again. Makes sense?”

Neo nodded, staring down at her noodles. They were almost gone. If her gas tank was empty, like Roman said, then it was no wonder she was eating so fast. She needed to refuel.

“So I have a semblance?” She asked, looking up at him.

“That's the only explanation I can think of,” Roman confirmed, leaning back. He'd hardly touched his noodles. “We were certainly in a tight enough spot for your semblance to manifest. And, given what happened and that glass sounds after, I think you can put up walls of illusions. Like mirrors.”

“How do you know all of this?” she asked, stunned by Roman's knowledge. He always seemed to know everything.

Roman's face darkened and he glared at the ground. “My parents told me.”

They had never talked about their parents, their lives before this. It was the past, they decided. Besides, Neo could barely remember where she was before meeting Roman. It felt like so long ago.

Roman's past, though, clearly haunted him. Neo set her nearly empty ramen cup aside and wrapped him in a hug. She tensed for a moment, but Neo had been expecting that. She acted the same.

Sure enough, he relaxed in seconds. His arms curled around her holding her tight. He was shaking. Neo rubbed his back and started to hum that song he'd sang to her months before. Slowly, she felt him still. 

When she was sure he was okay, Neo pulled back. “You don't have to, but if you ever wanna talk about them…”

“Maybe. Maybe not. I don't know,” Roman said quietly. He gave her a small smile, ruffling her ratty hair affectionately. “But that's not important right now. What is important is that you just got your semblance.”

Neo tilted her head, giving him a curious look. Why was that important?

“Because,” Roman answered, perfectly understanding her. As always, “that's another tool we can use. Like pickpocketing and shoplifting. And might I say Neo, that semblance of yours is gonna make our lives much easier.”

Neo lit up. Something she could do, and only she could do, would help Roman. That was possibly the best news she'd ever gotten.

“But it'll take lots of hard work, and practice,” Roman warned. “I can help you, but only you can learn how to use your semblance. Okay?”

Neo gave him a determined grin. She wasn't afraid of a little hard work, and it couldn't be worse than running the alleys to avoid the cops.

“Alright. Then we'll start tomorrow. You rest up, you did really good today,” Roman said, slowly pushing Neo back down. She really was tired, and now that her belly wasn't growling she felt her eyelids droop for the second time that day. She let herself be pushed back under the jacket.

“What about you?” she asked.

“I'm gonna go lift some wallets. You worry about training your semblance, I'll worry about the money. Once you have it down, we'll be living large, Neo,” he said, pulling himself to his feet. Neo frowned at him, he shouldn't put all the work on himself! Roman, easily reading her again, wagged his finger. “It's only fair. I'll take care of you now while you practice, and you can take care of me once you've mastered it. Deal?”

Neo pouted but, he was right. She nodded. Deal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A day late and a dollar late. But here it is, chapter eight. I wanted this one to be a lot calmer and a bit more tender than the past few. And I also wanted to hint at Roman's history. Just a little taste.
> 
> I'm hoping I did the explaining aura and semblances justice. That part took the longest by far. But, overall I ended up satisfied with it.


	9. Chapter 9

A locked door and an overworked teenager. That was all that stood between Neo and her goal. The locked door was easy, her and Roman had mastered that sometime around last year. This lock looked more like it was for show anyway. They weren't expecting someone with Neo's ability to waltz right in and take what she wanted. At least, that was the plan.

Neo pressed herself against the wall, the cool wall of her semblance hiding her from view. She had yet to master the ability, but Roman said this was perfect practice. She crept to the door, careful not to make a sound. Taking one last look over her shoulder to make sure no one was coming, Neo started on the lock.

Roman was outside watching her back. If he saw anyone heading her way he'd give a warning. They'd discovered that her illusions were fragile, and a simple touch shattered them. Which made their escape three months ago all the more lucky. If any of the goons had actually come into the alley they'd have been discovered.

_ Click _

The lock gave easily, like Neo knew it would. Honestly, she probably could've just jiggled it until it opened, but that would've made too much noise. Neo raised an illusion in the other side of the door and carefully opened it. She was in. Time for phase two.

There were two people within. The aforementioned overworked teen at the counter and a twenty something doing paperwork. More than they planned for, but it didn't change anything. She raised an illusion to cover her path and slowly moved to her goal. Thankfully, being silent was her speciality.

“Wha-?” The teen had stopped working and was staring right at her. Neo froze, holding her breath.

“Uh. Mister, can I have my change?” the person he'd been helping asked.

“Uh. Yeah, sure,” he said slowly. He counted out the money and handed it over, but he didn't stop looking at her. She didn't move a muscle.

“Everything okay, Red?” the twenty something asked, leaning back in her chair to look at her coworker.

“Yeah I just thought I… Ugh. Willow, can watch the counter for a sec? I need a King Cold,” he said, rubbing his eyes.

Willow shrugged and pulled herself out of the chair. “Alright. But I gotta count this as your second break.”

Red sighed heavily and left the counter. “Figures.”

Neo dashed forward and grabbed her prize before the girl could block her path. Then she was out, careful to lock the door behind her. She ran over to Roman holding the pair of disposable wristbands above her head.

“Haha! Neo you beautiful girl you did it!” Roman laughed. He wrapped his arms around her and spun her in a circle. Neo's cheeks felt hot, and a laugh bubbled up out of her. Roman set her down, grinning. “See? Told you I'd get you to laugh again.”

Neo pushed herself away, trying to scowl at him. She couldn't stop smiling though. “You got lucky. Now come on, I wanna go in.”

After putting the bracelets on, they headed inside. Willow gave them a dirty look as they flashed the bracelets, but she had no grounds to stop them. 

“Please enjoy your day at Splash City.”

“See you on the other side,” Roman said with a grin. He turned and headed into the locker room, laughing. Neo smiled, watching him for a moment. Again, her cheeks felt warm. She ignored it and headed into the girl's locker room. She was going to take a shower!

Running water that wasn't ice cold was luxurious for Neo. She slipped into a stall and turned the water to the highest pressure. The water felt amazing, and Neo sighed as she stepped into the spray. It was barely above room temperature, but to Neo it was heaven. The water ran brown with dirt and dried blood. Neo turned under the water, letting the spray clean her. Once the water at her feet was mostly clear, Neo started to work her hands through her hair, getting the knots and debris out. Again, the water ran brown, and more than once she pulled out a clump of loose hair. When she could run her fingers smoothly through her hair and the water was clear, she turned off the shower.

Neo looked at herself in the mirror, taking in the change. Now that her hair was clean and straight, it hung past her shoulders. She moved her head back and forth, taking it in. She should probably cut it. It was a liability, an easy handle for anyone trying to catch her. She liked it long, though. Sure, she was still insecure about the unusual color, but Roman constantly assured her it was great. Worn longer like this, she almost agreed with him.

The swimsuit they'd stolen, on the other hand, she hated openly. It was golden yellow and looked horrible on her. She scowled and tugged the material, wishing she could use her semblance to make it a better color. Something that didn't clash with her eyes or draw attention to the white streaks in her hair.

Satisfied with all but her swimsuit, and not able to do anything about that, she headed into the water park. Roman was waiting for her, kicking his feet in a pool. She walked over and tapped him on the head. He craned his neck back to look at her, then grinned. 

“I was worried you had gotten lost,” he said. He pulled his feet out of the water and Neo stepped back so he had room to stand. For a moment, he just stood there, staring at her. His cheeks were pink and he was looking at her like he barely recognized her. She tilted her head curiously, snapping him out of whatever it was. “Nothing. It's just… you look good.”

“Yeah. You too,” she said. His hair was so brilliant and orange now that he was clean. She liked it. 

Roman beamed and took her hand. “Come on. Let's go have fun!”

Neo snickered and let him pull her along. It seemed they already traveled with one pulling the other. It was kinda sweet.

She hadn't been sure about this scheme. After all, they didn't even know how to swim. At least, Neo didn't. She just assumed Roman didn't either. He'd assured her, though, that there was plenty to do in waist high water. So, she'd agreed.

“Let's do a water slide first!” Roman laughed. Normally they'd be running, but Roman explained they weren't allowed to run. Like being quiet in the library, breaking that rule would get them kicked out. So, they walked to the slide Roman picked out.

There was a line, but it was nowhere near as long as the lines for some of the bigger rides and slides. So they waited, chatting in sign. Roman had learned to speak it as well as read it, and he used it whenever he didn't want people eavesdropping on them. Which was most of the time. Granted, they weren't talking about anything of importance, but it was the principal of the thing.

“Your turn, kid,” the lifeguard at the top said, interrupting their silent discussion.

Roman grinned and hopped onto the slide. “See you at the bottom!”

Then he was gone, the sound of his laugh and cheers echoing through the tube slide. Neo bounced on her toes nervously. Roman assured her it would be fun, but now that she was up here she wasn't so sure.

“Alright, you're up,” the lifeguard said boredly. Neo stepped onto the slide like she'd seen Roman do. Before she could lose her nerve, Neo pushed herself down.

The sunlight filtered through the plastic slide, illuminating everything in a dull orange light. Her heart was in her throat as gravity and the water sent her hurtling down. She was pressed against the side whenever the slide turned. At one point it turned so sharp she thought she was going to slide all the way onto the ceiling. It was exhilarating.

Neo let out a little shriek as the slide vanished, leaving her falling in open air. Only for a moment, though.

_ Splash _

Neo was underwater, and she thrashed to try and get her feet under her. Roman had warned there were chemicals in the water that would hurt your eyes, so she kept them firmly closed. A pair of familiar hands grabbed her and pulled her up until her head broke the water.

“Easy, I've got you,” Roman said with a little laugh. Neo stood, the water only coming up to get chest. Roman grinned at her, and the two of them walked out of the pool. “How was it?”

Neo laughed for the second time that day, low and quiet. Roman beamed like it was the best thing he'd ever heard. Her hands flew, excitement making her talk fast. “It was amazing! I felt like I was flying! Can we go again? Can we?”

Roman laughed this time, draping an arm over Neo's shoulders. “Neo, we'll go as many times as you want. Today is for fun and fun only!”

Neo grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the stairs. She resisted the urge to run, there was no way she was gonna let them be kicked out!

* * *

 

“Splash City will be closing in thirty minutes,” a woman's voice droned from the speakers. “thank you for spending your day with us, we hope we'll see you again soon!”

Neo and Roman were floating down an artificial river in inner tubes. Roman had said it was called a lazy river, and it would be the perfect end to the day. Neo decided, as they drifted along, he was right.

“This is the life, Neo,” Roman sighed, lounging on his tube. They held hands so they wouldn't drift apart, and Roman gave hers a squeeze. “No fears, no worries, just freedom and fun.”

Neo nodded, watching the sunset crawl by. It had been a good day, a great day, and Neo was happy.

“One day we're gonna make it big, you and me,” he promised. “Then we'll live like this all the time.”

Neo nodded again, giving his hand a squeeze. He turned his head and smiled at her, and she smiled back. An amazing end to an amazing day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I did it! I managed to get this chapter done in time!
> 
> Anyway, I got stuck when I tried to start this chapter. So, instead of continuing the plot I decided to do a beach episode! Eh, water park episode. But it's fluffy and fun and good for the soul. So I'm pleased with it. I hope you guys are too.


	10. Chapter 10

The day had been not only amazing, but extremely profitable. Many people, it turned out, thought their valuables were safe in their shoes. So, they had made out like bandits. Incidentally, they each had a new pair of shoes.

“That was a great idea,” Neo said, beaming. They were heading to their makeshift home, ready to call it a day.

“I'm glad you approve,” Roman said with amusement.

“We'll have to do it more often,” she added.

Roman ruffled her hair with a sigh. “If only. If we do it too often they'll start to wise up. So we'll have to keep it to every once in a while. At least it gives you time to pick out a new bathing suit.”

Neo scowled, imagining it was aimed at the ugly yellow disgrace she'd left behind. Roman laughed again, putting an arm around her shoulder. Her face broke into a grin and she leaned against him.

As they neared their little home in an alley, they heard an unwelcome sound. The chatter of voices.

Roman frowned, stopping Neo. They'd chosen this spot specifically because people left it alone. 

“It sounds as if we have guests, Neo,” Roman said darkly. He straightened his shirt and smoothed his hair down, trying to make himself look presentable. Neo had learned that appearances were important to Roman, so she followed suit. Together, they walked into their alley.

Four people their age had made themselves at home. A girl, lounging on their pile of blankets, and three boys picking through their stuff. Neo felt her gut tighten, she knew what was about to happen. They were going to lose their home again.

“Gentlemen, lady. It seems there's some confusion. You see, my friend and I have already claimed this area,” Roman said dramatically. Neo crossed her arms and glared at the intruders.

The four looked up as one, taking in the pair. The girl, propped up on her elbows, spoke first. “Who the hell are they?”

Neo grit her teeth. She hated swearing. It made her scared and angry, and she didn't know why. Which only made her more angry. Roman put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“Those're the two I was telling you about,” the smallest boy answered, before Roman had the chance.

The girl slowly smiled. “Fancy pants and freaky eyes, huh? Been hearing a lot about you two.”

Roman squeezed Neo's shoulder, feeling her tense. She was still insecure about her eyes, and having this intruder mock them stung.

“My name is Roman, and my lovely friend here is Neo. How can we help you?”

“Lovely. Right,” the biggest boy snorted. Roman shot him a hard glare, but he only grinned in response.

“You two have built a bit of a reputation. They say you're the best pickpockets in all Vale,” the girl said, finally pulling herself up into a sitting position. “How's about joining our gang?”

Roman frowned, crossing his arms. “Bragging is unbecoming, but we do alright. As for your… generous offer, I'm afraid we'll have to respectfully decline. You see, my friend here doesn't play well with others.”

The girl copied Roman, crossing her arms and frowning. “Now what makes you think it's an offer?”

The three boys smirked and laughed cruelly, one pulling out a piece of rebar.

Neo took a step back, feeling the urge to run. She was afraid, and angry, and wanted to be away from these other kids. She wanted to take Roman and run until they were far away and safe. There were things here, though, that she didn't want to leave behind. Things like the book Roman had gotten for her birthday.

“Way I see it, fancy pants Roman, you got two options. You join the gang, or you get the hell out of town. Your call,” the girl said.

Roman sighed, giving Neo another reassuring squeeze. “Very well. If you'll just let us collect a few things, we'll be on our way.”

The four laughed and one of the boys answered, “It's in our terf. Means it's ours, so scram.”

Roman tensed, “You're welcome to everything of value, but there are things that are important to us for sentimental reasons.”

“What's senta mental?” The biggest boy asked.

“Means it's got memories and stuff. Things that make you feel good even though their useless to everyone else,” the smaller one answered.

“Please, there's a book. Useless to you unless you intend to learn sign language. I'm willing to pay.” Roman tried.

“Pay? Oh well now we're talking,” the girl laughed. “Boys, anyone seen this book he's yapping about?”

“This book?” The middle boy asked, holding up Neo's book. She nodded emphatically, looking at her treasure hopefully.

“That's it,” Roman confirmed, “I'll give you 10,000 lien for it.”

“Hold on, Byzzi. I think I want this book,” the boy said, flipping through it.

The girl looked over her shoulder at her friend, “I didn't know you could read, Coop.”

“I can't. But I want it if they want it so bad,” the boy, Coop, answered. Roman glared at him.

“Yeah but he's offering money. You gonna pay me that much?” Byzzi asked.

Coop scoffed, “That much lien for a crummy book, no way!”

Byzzi jerked her thumb at Roman, “Then give fancy pants his book so we can get his money!”

Coop scowled and slinked across the alley to Roman. He held out his hand expectantly. Coop, keeping his eyes on Roman, opened the book and tore out a page. “Oops.”

Neo watched in horror as the page was torn from her most valuable possession. Neo keened in anguish, snatching the book from Coop. He held another page, tearing it free as it was pulled away. Neo cried, gingerly running her fingers along the jagged edges, like she was touching a wound on her own body.

“How dare you!” Roman snarled. He swung a fist, sending Coop staggering backwards. Roman jumped on him, punching at him.

Neo collapsed to her knees, sobbing and hugging the book to her chest. It was a little thing, but she had so little that it felt like everything. It had been the first birthday present she could remember getting, and the first thing Roman gave her.

Roman crying out in pain snapped her out of her mourning. Neo's head snapped up, taking in the scene. Coop was curled up against a wall, nursing his hurt face. Roman was being held by the smaller boy and Byzzi, while the larger boy swung the rebar at his stomach.

“Get him, Turk, kill him!” Coop urged, choking back tears.

Something snapped in Neo. They had hurt her most valued possession, and now they were hurting Roman. Her only friend, the only person that mattered to her. The one thing in this world she could not live without.

Neo howled like a banshee and jumped into Turk's back. She clawed at his face and dug her heels into his sides. He shouted in shock and pain, stumbling back. The others shouted and scrambled to help him, but Neo ignored them in favor of her current target. Blood welled under her nails as she scratched his face to shreds. She found his eyes, and dug her fingers in until they met the bone at the back of his eye sockets. He let out an beastial bellow of pain. Reaching over his shoulder, he grabbed at Neo and threw her to the ground.

Normally, such a blow would leave her dazed. Something absorbed the blow, though, leaving her alert. 

“My eyes, my eyes! I can't see, oh gods it hurts!” Turk wailed. He covered his bloody, empty sockets with his hands and stumbled blindly away, escaping Neo and her wrath.

Neo snatched up the rebar as Byzzi and the unnamed boy closed in on her.

“You're gonna pay for that!” Byzzi warned. Neo snarled in response, putting herself between the two and Roman.

Neo didn't wait for them to strike. She dived at the boy, thrusting the rebar with all her strength. It hit his gut, then kept going. Blood spurted from his new hole, and Neo kept pushing until her hand met his stomach. He stared at her in shock and fear. She looked into his eyes coldly as the life drained from them. His legs collapsed, and Neo released the rebar to let him fall. Her cold gaze turned to Byzzi, who was screaming away.

“Oh gods, Brock. He's… he's dead. You killed him you crazy bitch!” she screamed. Neo had killed him, and it made her feel powerful. Slowly, Neo smiled. Byzzi turned and ran, shouting back, “this isn't over. I'll kill you, you fucking psycho!”

Neo turned her attention to where Coop had been cowering, but he was gone. No doubt he'd run off while she was taking care of his friends. Shame.

“Neo,” Roman said, his voice small. Neo turned to her friend, feeling her chest swell with pride. She'd done it, she'd protected him. The look on his face though, replaced that pride with a cold dread. He looked shocked. He looked afraid. Afraid of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A week and a day late. Sorry about that y'all. But it's here now, that counts for something right?
> 
> So, now we're really get into the thick of it. Neo is starting to discover her sadistic side. Her first kill. I hope it lives up to y'alls expectations. I should be back on schedule now, though.


	11. Chapter 11

“Neo, let's just… calm down, okay?” Roman said softly. He held up his hands defensively, still on the ground. The look in his eyes broke Neo's heart. He was looking at her like the other kids looked at her. Like she was some kind of monster.

“I am calm,” Neo said, though she felt anything but. How could he look at her like that? She'd saved him! 

Roman's gaze kept flicking between Neo and the body. She put herself between them, demanding Roman's attention. “I protected you!”

Roman flinched and scooted away from her, and Neo's throat tightened. No, she couldn't save him just to have him run away from her.

“Roman I could never hurt you,” Neo said. She wore her hurt on her face for Roman to see. Why was he treating her like this?

“Neo you killed him!” Roman said, not bothering to hide the fear this time. “You're covered in blood!”

“So are you!” Neo countered. She wanted desperately to treat his wounds, but she didn't dare to reach out to him. Not when it might send him running. His lip was split and bleeding, his left eye swelling. There was no telling what damage had been done to his chest and stomach.

“What should I have done,” Neo asked, her hands sharp and fast. “Sit there and watch? Do nothing while they beat you to death?”

Roman frowned, looking away. “Well, no.”

“So I let them run away, so they can come back later and beat us both to death?”

“No.”

“Then what?” If Neo had a voice, she'd be shouting. Why couldn't he see that she was just doing what she had to?

“I don't know!” Roman yelled. He let out a shaky sigh, hugging his knees to his chest. “I don't know Neo. But how could you just kill him like that? You don't even seem to care!”

“Why should I?” Neo challenged, “there's only been three people who were anything besides terrible to me and two of them are dead! So why should I care about anyone else? They obviously don't care about me.”

“That doesn't mean you kill them Neo!” Roman said. His voice echoed in the alley, but Neo didn't flinch. Finally, Roman stood. He towered over her, but still there was fear.

“Why do you care?” Neo asked, “Why does it matter? If it's us or them why shouldn't we choose us? It's not like we asked them to come here!”

“Because life is supposed to be protected!” Roman barked. His voice turned soft and he seemed to shrink as he added, “at least, that's what my parents taught me.”

That drained the fight out of Neo. They never talked about their pasts, their families before. It was like an unspoken rule, never look back. Seemed Neo wasn't the only one breaking it.

Roman sighed, shaking his head. “We need to take care of the… we need to clean this up.”

“Roman I'm-” Neo tried to apologize. Roman grabbed her hands, silencing her.

“Don't. Not right now okay?” he said. He was hurting, Neo could tell. His tone, the way he tried to make himself smaller, how he refused to meet her eyes. It made this so much worse, which Neo didn't even think was possible. Roman released her hands. “Let's just deal with this problem right now then we'll… then we'll talk.”

Neo nodded but she couldn't form words. Her hands felt too heavy. Her throat tightened with a sob, but she refused to let it out. Being upset was easier when she was silent. It felt right.

Together, they carried him to the ocean. Roman at his hands and Neo at his ankles. By now, it was the middle of the night. The streets were deserted. Roman wrapped him in a blanket when they got there, saying it was respectful. Neo thought it was a waste of a blanket. The look Roman made when they pushed him into the water made Neo wonder if he didn't feel the same.

“Rest easy… uh. What was his name?” Roman asked in a stage whisper.

“Brock,” Neo answered. She stared into the water, her emotions being replaced with an exhausted numbness. 

“Rest easy, Brock,” Roman continued, “your journey is at an end. May you find peace.”

It sounded like he was reading from a script. Together, they watched the blanket and the body sink into the blackness. Once it was gone, they washed in the frigid ocean and changed into cleaner clothes. The bloody ones followed the body. More waste.

The walk back was silent, more so than usual. Roman clearly had nothing to say, and Neo felt too broken and empty to try. This was it, the end of their friendship. She would be alone again. Neo cried silently, and wondered if she'd ever really stopped.

When they made it back to their alley, Neo slowly began collecting her things. What few clothes she had, the trinkets she used for picking locks. The coat Roman had bought her after she unlocked her semblance. It was pink and soft, and looked nice next to the brown one she bought him. She clutched the jacket to her chest, trembling.

“My parents were huntsman,” Roman said, breaking the terrible silence. He'd just been watching her till now. Roman took a deep, shuddering breath and continued, “they fought to protect people. From Grimm, from the White Fang, from anyone and anything else that wanted to hurt people.”

Neo didn't look up. She couldn't. She didn't move a muscle, hoping against hope there was still a chance.

“My father liked to say ‘Roman my boy, life is a precious thing. We must strive to protect it.’” Roman tried to make his voice deep and posh, obviously trying to imitate what his father had sounded like. “And so every day he and my mother would rush off to fight against evil and darkness and cruelty. Gods I used to worship them. I wanted to be a huntsman, just like my old man. I would run around our house, play fighting my nanny. Then my parents would come home and regale me with stories of their adventures. Until the night they didn't.”

Neo heard Roman sniffle, and it was all she could do not to run to him. Her eyes screwed shut and she curled up around the jacket. She hated it when Roman was hurting, and the only thing worse was when she couldn't even comfort him.

“They put me on an airship to Vacuo. Apparently I have some aunt or uncle who lives there. Just, sent me off to family I've never met, like inheritance.” Roman's voice was cracking, and Neo could tell he was crying freely now. She bit into the fuzzy pink fabric to keep herself silent. Roman took another shuddering breath and continued, “the ship stopped here, and I ran off. They never found me, I don't even know if they looked.”

There was a long stretch of silence, Roman collecting his thoughts. This was hard for him, Neo knew. He was always so composed, so put together. Being vulnerable and open like this was alien.

“I used to think my parents were heroes. But then they died and left me alone. What kind of hero abandons their own kid?” he said. “This whole time I've been, I dunno, holding onto that. Holding onto my dream of being a hero like them. But then wouldn't I end up just like them? What's the point of being noble and right, if being the hero only hurts you, and those you care about?”

Roman's footsteps echoed, and Neo held her breath. He was walking towards her. Right behind her, he stopped. “What's the point of playing by the rules if no one else is? If all it gets you is losing?”

He kneeled and wrapped his arms around her. Neo leaned back into him with all choked sob she couldn't hold back.

“I'm sorry Neo. This whole time I've been imagining us as heroes. Plucky underdogs that will rise to the occasion and achieve greatness. That isn't how the world works though.” He gave her a squeeze and Neo turned so she could bury her face in his chest. “This world is cruel and heartless it doesn't care about pluck or dreams. So from now on, we'll be cruel and heartless right back. If we can't survive as heroes… then I guess we'll just have to become villains.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay fuck this one was hard to write. I swear I cried. It was hard to start, but once I got going I just couldn't stop. I don't really have a lot to say about this chapter, except that I'm impressed that I got it out on time, and I hope it lives up to y'all's expectations. I kinda set myself up for a big one last chapter and I really want to live up to that. So, lemme know how I did!


	12. Chapter 12

They both knew it wasn't over. Byzzi would be back for revenge, and she'd wouldn’t be alone. They wouldn’t come bearing gifts, either. Vengeance on the street was swift and ruthless, even at their age. They would have to be ready. They would need weapons, practice, aura, any advantage they could get.

Neo kept the rebar. Something about it felt right in her hand. Thrusting and blocking was easy, natural. 

For Roman, they found a solid steel pipe that came up to about his waist. When they sparred, he'd swing it like a bat. He was tall for his age, and that wasn’t just because Neo was short for hers. It gave him reach and leverage, and he used that to his advantage.

Roman knew that it was possible to activate someone else's aura using your own. Something he had learned from his parents. They spent an afternoon in the library reading up on the subject, trying to learn how it was done. After a second day spent holding hands and focusing in silence, Roman had an aura of his own.

They wanted to be ready for the attack, so they practiced with their new weapons and aura. Roman, they discovered, had far more aura than Neo. She could only take a few hits before she was empty, whereas Roman could tank dozens. So Neo practiced dodging and evading. Her aura wouldn’t drop if she didn’t get hit.

Normally, this much extra work would be impossible. Hunger would’ve consumed them if they had tried this a year ago. With Neo’s semblance, though, it was easy. They could stroll into a store, load bags full of food, and leave without being bothered. It meant that hunger was a thing of the past for them. This pleased Neo greatly, knowing she was keeping Roman fed.

When the attack finally came, they were as ready as they could be. The had practiced for over a week, while doing their best to keep themselves rested and ready. It didn’t give them much training, but they hadn’t want to be caught off guard and exhausted.

Half a dozen kids their age strode into their alley, armed with pipes and two by fours. Byzzi lead them, armed with an old and battered hand axe. Age hadn’t seemed to make the edge any less dangerous, though. Her violet hair was short and jagged, freshly cut. 

It was time. Neo put up an illusion of herself, then pulled herself to her feet. Surprise would be a powerful weapon for them, and she intended to use it.

Roman tossed away the book he'd been reading and hopped off his dumpster perch. Snatching hiz pipe, he sauntered over to stand beside the illusion of Neo. Fake her still sat, doodling away on a scrap of paper. Real Neo clutched her rebar, waiting for a chance to strike.

“Well hello there. Byzzi, was it? To what do we owe this pleasant surprise?” Roman asked, leaning on his pipe.

“You killed Brock,” she spat, “Turk is as good as dead without his eyes. We’ve come to settle the score.”

“Bit cliche,” Roman sighed. Neo smirked, though she didn’t bother changing her illusion the match. The less it moved, the easier it was for her to maintain. Roman raised his voice so Byzzi and her posse could hear. “Come now, that was just a tit for tat. You came into our home, tried to kick us out, stole our possessions, refused our generosity, and were fully prepared to kill me. My ribs still hurt, you know.”

“You killed Brock!” she screamed. “You killed my friend!”

“At the risk of sounding childish; You started it,” Roman shot back, “But we’re willing to let bygones be bygones. No reason to shed more blood over a pointless feud, no?”

“I’ll kill you!” Byzzi charged them, axe held high and ready to strike. Her goons followed, though they seemed far less furious than their leader.

Roman sighed again, rolling his eyes. “Very well. Neo, if you would?”

The illusion shattered, and Neo lunged forward to meet the girl. She stumbled, shocked at her sudden appearance. Neo ducked low and swung at her ankles. It was a simple matter to knock the unprepared, fury blinded girl to the ground. Neo turned and jumped onto her prone body, crushing the air from her. She raised her weapon, ready to end Byzzi after her friend.

“Neo, wait!” Roman said, cutting Neo off. She narrowed her eyes at him, but held her attack. For now. Roman relaxed a little; clearly he wasn’t over his squeamishness about killing. He hardened his gaze and turned it on Byzzi, who was fuming but smart enough to stay still. “Don’t be stupid, Byzzi. We’re no threat to you and your friends. You can walk away now, and we’ll call it even.”

“You listen close, fancy pants,” Byzzi hissed. “I’ll kill you. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow. But I won’t let you get away with this! You understand?”

Roman was clearly about to argue, to try to bend over backwards to find a nonviolent solution to this, but Neo shook her head. Byzzi meant what she said, as long as she was alive this wouldn’t end. He closed his eyes, “Yes, I think I do understand. Neo?”

Neo would take this burden from him. The thought of killing bothered him in ways she couldn’t understand. Neo, though, had no troubles with it. She drove the rebar down through Byzzi’s neck, silencing whatever insult or response she was forming. There was a gurgling noise as the girl struggled with her last breaths, then a deathly silence.

Roman took a deep breath through his nose, collecting himself, then opened his eyes. He didn’t look down, but instead fixed his gaze on the five that had followed the late girl.

“Now. You have two choices, ladies and gentlemen,” he said. Neo could tell he was struggling, but he was doing an admirable job of holding it together. “You either turn around, walk away, and forget my friend and I. Or, you join your leader and her friend at the bottom of the bay. So, which will it be?”

More silence. Clearly, they had all known Brock too, they were willing to follow Byzzi into a fight for his vengeance. But that vengeance has just cost their leader her life. To Neo, it seemed like they were weighing the odds of the same happening to them. Neo decided to tip the scales for them. She ripped the rebar out of Byzzi’s neck with a wet slurp, then propped it on her shoulder. Blood dribbled from the end, splashing into the pool rapidly forming on the ground. Neo gave them an innocent smile, feeling her eyes switch color as she blinked.

“You know what? I never really liked her,” one of the boys, a smaller one piped up. He took a step back, eyeing Neo with obvious fear. 

One of the bigger ones, clearly smarter than he looked, spoke next, “Without Byzzi, we ain’t got a leader. If’n you want we can round up the gang. Get them working for you. Long as we get a cut, of course,”

Roman scowled, tightening his grip on his pipe. It didn’t take Neo’s familiar eye to see exactly what he thought of that plan.

“All we want is to be left alone,” Roman said. He took a step forward, putting himself beside Neo. She smiled, leaning against him. 

“You want our favor? Spread the message. Every pickpocket, every mugger, thug, and crook. Stay out of our way and stay out of our lives. This … corpse,” Roman spat on Byzzi, careful to avoid Neo in the process, “She got the last second chance we’ll ever give. And if anyone is stupid enough to cross us again … well, there’s plenty of room at the bottom of the bay, isn’t there Neo?”

Neo again gave that innocent smile. She could tell that it unnerved their audience when combined with her bloody weapon. She nodded happily, meeting their gazes one by one. Each time, she made sure her eyes shifted before the looked away. She learned early on how much it unnerved people, and now that was working to get advantage.

“Spread the message, boys and girls!” Roman declared dramatically. He turned his back on the five, stooping to collect his book. “Roman Torchwick and Neo are not targets. We are not helpless, defenseless, or harmless. We are not people you wanna piss off! And if anyone asks you why … tell them about Turk and Brock. Tell them about Byzzi.”

Neo’s grin turned dangerous and she ground her heel into the body she still stood on. The five turned and fled, muttering promises that they would.

Neo giggled and hopped onto Roman’s back, hugging him. They did it! Now they’d get some peace and space.

Roman trembled, though, crossing his arms over Neo’s. “We did the right thing, right?”

Neo nodded, pressing her cheek against Roman’s. Her legs dangled, but she didn’t mind. Roman needed her close right now, and she certainly wasn’t complaining about it.

“Part of me is trying to cling to my past. My dreams and my memories of my parents. But we won. I should be happy,” Roman said. His voice was a hoarse whisper, and Neo wasn’t sure if he was about to cry or puke. “I feel empty, though. After all these years of hoping and dreaming of being like my parents I just threw it away.”

Neo shrugged and squeezed him tight. She wanted to help, to comfort him. She didn’t know the words, though. She could barely understand what he was going through. All she could really do is be there.

“But we made the right call?”

Neo nodded again. She firmly believed that killing Byzzi was the right call. They had heard it from her own mouth, as long as she was alive, they wouldn’t be safe.She hadn’t given them any other choice, not really. Roman was struggling now, but he’d come to terms with it soon, Neo was sure of that. He’d see that they’d done the right thing.

Roman sighed, and slowly relaxed. He understood her well enough to know what she was thinking, or at least near enough to get the gist. “You’re right, Neo. Do you think you could … clean it up? I’m not sure I can …”

Neo nodded again and gave him a peck on the cheek. It wouldn’t be easy or fun dragging the body to the bay alone. But for Roman? She’d do it happily. Neo hopped off his back and got to work. The could celebrate their win later. Right now, they both had a mess to deal with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I missed last weeks update! Forgive me, my readers! Tell you what, to make it up to you, how about a double update this week?


	13. Chapter 13

“So what do you kids need a sword for?” the shopkeep asked. He was a heavyset man, and it seemed all the hair had moved from his head to his face. Neo imagined his wiry black hair marching down his face to his chin. She laughed silently.

Roman leaned on the counter, examining the wares of the weapon shop. “Our families are part of a merchant caravan. As I’m sure you can imagine, things can get rather dangerous travelling from town to town. So, since we’re entering those golden teen years, our parents decided it was time for us to get some weapons.”

Neo nodded emphatically, throwing her weight behind the lie. Not that it did much good, it even was really needed. Besides, her attention was mostly consumed by a needle thin sword hanging on the wall.

“Mm. Makes sense,” the shopkeep answered, “Your parents doing their mercantile thing?”

Neo nodded again, answering for Roman.

“Alright then kiddos. How much you got?”

Roman dropped their lein on the counter. The shopkeep frowned, poking through the chits to see if there was more underneath.

“Hm. Won’t be able to get much than this,” he said, sounding a little let down. He pushed them to the side one by one, counting them. “I got some daggers you could afford. Maybe a sword or two. But those fancy huntsman type weapons are way too steep for you.”

“I don't think we need anything quite that intricate,” Roman said with a laugh. It was subtle, but Neo could tell he was a little disappointed. Roman had grown more comfortable in their role as not the good guys, but a part of him couldn't let go of his dreams of being a Huntsman. A small part. In his defense though, Neo would've loved a cool transforming weapon.

“How much is that sword on the back wall?” Roman asked, following Neo's gaze. Neo glared at him, thinking he was falling into his old habit of trying to pamper her. He grinned sheepishly and explained, “you're a better fighter than me. It just makes sense to give you your pick of weapon.”

“Kid, if it's on display you can't afford it,” the man answered with a rough laugh. Neo turned her glare on him, but clearly a man used to dealing with seasoned warriors wasn't intimidated by fourteen year old girl giving him dirty looks. “Gimme a sec, I'll get the bottom shelf stuff from the back.”

He stood with the sound of someone not used to having to stand up and lumbered through a door behind the counter. Neo heard him saying something about merchant's kids having more money.

“Why don't we just rob him?” Neo asked, trying to keep her glare on the man despite the fact he was out of sight.

“Because he has a store filled with weapons and probably high tech security,” Roman answered in sign. “Speaking as someone who used to be wealthy, I can tell you this is not the kind of place you just rob.”

Neo huffed in annoyance, but she didn't argue. If anyone would know, it would be Roman. She really wanted that sword though.

“Okay I think I grabbed everything in your price range,” the man grunted. He thumped back to the counter, carrying a pair of hard cases as long as Neo was tall. He hefted then up on the counters one at a time, then clicked the latches open. Inside was an array of daggers, knives, axes, sickles, and weapons of similar size. They were simple in design, but looked dependable. Well made. At least, they did to Neo's untrained eye. Roman let out a low whistle, apparently agreeing.

“What do you think, Bonnie?” Roman asked Neo. A fake name, just to be safe. Neo hummed quietly, tracing her fingers along the blades. Just looking them excited Neo. The thought of holding one, of using it against someone, made her smile. This was how she’d protect herself, protect Roman. It would certainly be easier than using a pointy piece of rebar. 

Neo snatched up a dagger, rubbing a thumb along the blade. She grinned. This was the one.

“How much?” Roman asked.

The man hummed thoughtfully, scratching his beard. “Normally, it'd be more than you can afford. But, I like supporting our merchants, gotta keep trade alive. So…”

He put his meaty hand in the pile and pulled most of it to himself. Only a few chits were left for Roman and Neo. The big man lifted his eyebrows, giving them a questioning look.

Roman frowned, doing the math in his head. After only a moment, he nodded. Neo frowned, feeling like they might've been ripped off but lacking the knowledge to argue.

The man scooped the chits into his hand and left the rest for the two kids. Neo put the knife into it's sheathe and tucked it into her belt.

“Pleasure doing business with you. Travel safe, kids,” the man said. Roman and Neo waved goodbye and took their leave.

“We only got one,” Neo said, glaring at Roman.

“We could only  _ afford _ one,” Roman corrected. “It's not like I spent all the money on some fancy knife for you. That thing is pretty run off the mill. Besides you'll be able to do a lot more with that than I will.”

Neo's softened and, reluctantly, nodded. He was right, of course. He was still too squeamish.

“So now what?” Neo asked. She grabbed his hand and leaned into him happily. He leaned back, and Neo couldn't help but smile.

“Now, dear Neo, we see our investment pay off,” he answered, giving her have a squeeze. “Let's go rob something.”

* * *

 

It was a simple matter to disguise themselves. Roman wore a wide brimmed had they'd stolen for just this purpose, and a banana around his face. Neo simple used her semblance to disguise herself. A useful trick she'd picked up recently. As it turned out, it was a simple matter to wrap herself in an illusion, it was just like putting on a coat. She could even put it under her aura, so it wouldn't shatter when someone touched it.

She decided to make herself look more like the late Byzzi. Close cropped purple hair, eyes to match, she even changed her clothes. If Roman recognized her disguise, he said nothing.

The two of them strode confidently into the convenience store. They'd been there many times before, to buy or steal food. This was far from the safest neighborhood in town, so they weren't worried about the cops. As long as they didn't take all day, they'd be gone before there were any flashing lights.

“No hats in the store please,” a bored man said. He barely even looked up from the paper he'd spread on the counter. Half hearted, he pointed to a sign on the wall that declared ‘Smile! You're on camera!’

“That would make things difficult,” Roman said cheerily, “You see, we’re robbing you!”

The man glanced up, raising his eyebrows. He looked not less bored. “Very funny. Now take off the hat, kid.”

Neo rolled her eyes. Sure, just because they were kids they weren’t dangerous. She pulled out her knife and stabbed it into the counter, inches away from his hand. He jumped back, paling. Neo frowned, she’d missed

“As you can see, my friend here isn’t very patient,” Roman said. He probably thought she’d meant to miss. “So, if you would be kind enough to empty the register into this bag, we’ll be on our way.”

He dropped an empty backpack onto the counter, pushing it at him. Neo pulled the knife out of the counter, loosely pointing it at the man. Just a gentle reminder.

“Alright, okay,” the man said, clearly forcing himself to remain calm. Careful to move slow, he popped open the register and grabbed the bag “I’ll give you everything, okay?”

“See that you do,” Roman responded, leaning on the counter. “And make it snappy. We have better things to do than stand around here all day.”

The man nodded and hurriedly began stuffing money in the bag. Neo gave her innocent smile, slowly carving into the counter. He tried his best not to notice her smiling right at him. He started moving faster.

Five minutes later, they were gone. Neo dropped her illusion and Roman tucked the hat and bandanna into the bag. Then they were gone, blocks away before they could hear the sirens. Neo grabbed Roman’s hand as they walked back to their home. Roman grinned, giving her hand a squeeze.

“Neo my dear, I think things are starting to look up,” he said, “Lets go spend our ill gotten gains on some ice cream.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DOUBLE UPDATE DOUBLE UPDATE! You hyped? I'm hyped!
> 
> So firstly, we've cracked 300 views! Almost 350! That's so amazing! Thank you all for taking the time to read this. I'm really excited that you are all enjoying it!
> 
> So, now we're really getting into the criminal stuff. Armed robbery! Things are only gonna get more criminal and dangerous. So that'll be fun.


	14. Chapter 14

“Alright. You've got the room for a month. If guys wanna keep renting it, you'll have to pay again on the first,” the weasley man said. He put a pair of keycards on the desk and pushed them towards Roman and Neo. “No pets. No smoking. Noise enforcement starts at ten. So no wild and crazy parties.”

He snickered, adjusting his battered sunglasses.

Roman smiled politely, taking the cards. 

“I don't imagine that being a problem,” Roman said. “Is there anything else we need to know?”

The man had already turned his attention back to his old TV. He waved them away, saying, “Nah. If you need anything lemme know.”

As it turned out, there was really good money in armed robbery. Roman was careful, dividing the hits with plenty of time and distance. Within a month, they were able to finally get a room at an extended stay motel. They even had a comfortable amount of money squirreled away after paying.

Their own room for a whole month. Neo could hardly believe it. She felt like she was vibrating she was so excited, and she wasn't the only one. Roman couldn't stop smiling and humming. Neo grinned and hummed along. 

The room was, objectively speaking, trashy. The carpet was stained, the mattress sagged visibly in the middle. In the bathroom, the toilet, shower, and toilet were discolored with lime scale and rust. Roman deflated. He still remembered his room in Atlas, spacious and clean. A far cry from this hovel. 

“Neo I'm-” Roman started to apologize. He was cut off by Neo laughing and hopping onto the bed. 

Her old bedroom was only a vague memory of comfort, so her expectations were low. Sure, it was dirty and stained, but no more than their former alleyway home. She giggled and wrapped herself in the comforter. It was so soft and warm!

Roman's smile returned when he saw Neo’s excitement. If she was happy, he was happy. She beckoned for him to join her, and was more than happy to cuddle up to her. She draped the comforter over him, then snuggled into his chest. 

He stroked her hair, and she left out a happy, barely audible sigh. Softly, Roman began to sing. Something he'd been doing more and more lately. Neo smiled and hummed along. She traced along his spine with her fingertips, and he let out a content sigh of his own. 

They stayed like that hours, content in each other's arms. It was hunger that finally got then to move. Neo's stomach growled, and she glared down at it. She was comfortable, damnit!

Roman laughed, disentangling himself from her. “We've got a microwave now. You know what that means?”

Neo tilted her head curiously. She had no idea what it meant. She watched him cross the room to his backpack.

“It means,” he said slowly, digging through his things. Triumphantly, he produced two cups of instant ramen. One shrimp, one spicy pork. “That we can have hot food whenever we want.”

Neo's smiled wider and nodded eagerly. Hot food whenever they wanted  _ and _ this huge soft bed? Neo thought she might lock herself in this room. 

Roman prepped the ramen and ten minutes later they were happily slurping up the noodles. They were perched on the edge of the bed and Neo was kicking her legs as she ate. She was warm inside and out, and her cheeks hurt from smiling so much. She drank the broth eagerly, then dropped the fork into the empty cup. 

“Wanna give the shower a try?” Roman asked. Neo nodded. She'd only been able to shower on the few instances they'd snuck into pools and water parks.

Roman led her to the bathroom and explained all the little, complimentary bottles. Body wash, shampoo, conditioner. She had no memory of them, but Roman told her when and how to use them. 

“Keep your eyes closed when you're doing your hair,” Roman explained, “It'll hurt if you get shampoo in them.”

He left a change of clothes and a clean towel on the toilet, then left her to shower. 

Neo turned the hot water to full, then peeled off her dirty clothes. The room was already starting to steam up when she dipped into the shower. She hissed when the hot water hit her, but relaxed as her body adjusted to the heat. At first, she just let herself soak. She barely moved until the water ran clear. Then, she started on her hair. Shampoo first.

As she rubbed it into her hair, it foamed. She smiled at the sensation, scrubbing at her hair. Probably for longer than she needed to. 

She rinsed it out, then replaced it with conditioner. 

She let it sit and scrubbed her body until it almost felt raw. Once she felt clean, cleaner than she had ever felt before, she rinsed herself off, taking great care to clean out the conditioner. 

The bathroom was full of steam when she stepped out of the shower. She luxuriated in the fluffy towel, cocooning herself in it and breathing in the clean smell. Reluctantly, she unwrapped herself from the towel and dried herself off.

One change of clothes later, Neo stepped out of the bathroom framed with a rush of steam. She let out a satisfied sigh and flopped on the bed next to Roman. He watched her, blushing a little. 

“Feel better?” he asked. She nodded, smiling distantly.

Her skin started to tingle, and she idly scratched at her arm. Then it started to itch, worse and worse. She whined and started to squirm. 

“What's wrong?” Roman asked, frowning.

“Itchy,” Neo answered.

Roman laughed, shaking his head, “It's just because you're clean. It'll pass, and we'll get some lotion for next time.”

Neo nodded and itched at herself, pouting. Roman ruffled her hair, smiling. 

“I'm gonna take my turn with the shower,” he said. Neo nodded, scratching at her arms. Roman laughed again and walked into the bathroom. 

Neo dug a battered notebook out of her bag. It was filled with doodles and drawings she'd done when bored. Laying on her stomach, she opened it to a fresh page and started drawing. She started drawing a bird, perched on a branch. With a wave of her hand, she created an illusion so she'd have a model. 

By the time Roman stepped out of the bathroom, the drawing was almost done.

There was a lot less steam than last time. What started as an idle glance up turned into full on staring. There was a tinkle of glass as her bird illusion shattered.

Roman hadn't put his shirt on yet, and was toweling his hair dry. He was lanky, but quickly on his way to being lean. Muscles were forming from their hours of training. 

He froze when he noticed her staring, water dripping from his hair. “What?”

Neo's cheeks burned and she hid her face in her notebook. She didn't even know why she had been staring. He was just so… pretty. 

“Were you checking me out?” Roman asked in disbelief. He found himself blushing too.

Neo shook her head adamantly, not removing her face from her notebook. 

“I mean, it's okay if you were. I am pretty hot.” he teased.

Neo scoffed and threw a pillow at him. He caught it, laughing. 

“What? I am aren't I?” Roman laughed, “C'mon, admit it. You were checking me out!”

Neo threw the other pillow at Roman, then buried under the blankets. 

“Oh no, you're not getting away that easy!” Roman said. He jumped onto the bed, and tried to pull her out from under the covers. 

Roman's laughter filled the room, and Neo's filled her body until she shook with it. The two wrestled until, predictably, Neo had Roman pinned. She grinned down at him smugly. He smiled back, though it seemed uncertain.

“Alright, alright, you got me,” he laughed. Her shoulders shook with silent laughter, and she stuck her tongue out at him. He looked away, looking conflicted. Before she could ask why, he rushed up and kissed her. 

She froze, her eyes widening and her whole body warmed. The kiss only lasted for a moment, but it felt like an eternity. Roman flopped back onto the bed, his face bright red. She stared down at him, stunned and bug eyed.

“I’m sorry, I just thought-” Roman tried to say. Neo put a hand over his mouth, silencing him so she could talk.

“Why did you do that?” she asked.

He looked away, biting on his bottom lip, “I dunno. I just thought. I mean I guess. I-”

Neo silenced him again. He was stammering, rambling. Slowly, she pulled her hand back, letting him talk again.

Roman took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. Quietly, looking away, he said, “I love you, Neo.”

This time, she engaged the kiss. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips against his. This time, he was stunned. Only for a moment though. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. Her heart pounded in her ears, and she ended up having to pull back to catch her breath. She smiled down at Roman, panting.

“I love you too,” she signed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What, did you think Thanksgiving would stop me? Nevermind that I'm posting this two hours before midnight, it's still Thursday dangit! That means it counts! I'm on time, I'm a good creator!
> 
> Ahem. Sorry about that. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with this chapter. Part of the reason I'm barely on time. In the end, I fell back on that age old standard. FLUFF!
> 
> It turned out pretty good, I think. Nice good fluffy stuff. First kiss, first I love you. I'm pretty proud of it. I hope you guys like it too!


	15. Chapter 15

Roman checked the gun one last time. More out of nervousness than necessity. It had been cheap, but in their tests it seemed dependable. 

“You sure about this?” Neo asked. They were hiding behind an illusion in a bank lobby, tucked into a corner. She was getting better at holding them, and it seemed to take less out of her each time. 

“Yeah. This is a good idea,” Roman signed back. “After we pull this off we'll be sitting pretty.”

Neo nodded and, with a wave of her hands, dropped the illusion. Roman, already wearing his hat and bandanna, fired his gun into the air. 

“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen!” he said as people started screaming. “Please remain calm and everything will go smoothly. If you would be so kind as to lay on the ground, we can get this robbery started!”

When no one made a move to get down, Neo scowled and drew her knife. She threw it, sending it whizzing by a customer. It stabbed into the wall with a satisfying thunk. Neo had been practicing. 

“On the ground, now,” Roman commanded, far less politely. “or I'll let my partner ask next time. As I'm sure you can imagine, you don't want that.”

That did it. Everyone slowly moved to the ground, laying on their bellies.

“Thank you for your cooperation,” he said gracefully. Carefully, he picked his way across the room to the teller. He dropped their empty backpack onto the counter. “Good afternoon ma'am. I'd like to name a withdrawal.”

“All the money in the bag?” the teller guessed, eyeing the gun. She was older in years, and clearly this wasn't her first robbery. 

“If is not too much trouble,” Roman said gratefully. The woman sighed and stared stuffing lien chits into the bag. 

Neo grinned. Everything was going according to plan. She strode confidently across the lobby, purposely coming within a hair's breadth of stepping on everyone along her path. She liked the way they flinched away from her. As she pulled her knife free from the wall, the sound of a gunshot filled the bank.  

Neo whirled towards Roman, ready to throw her knife at whatever had caused him to fire. He was looking towards her, mirroring her own worry.

Another shot rang out, and Roman's eyes widened. “Neo look out!”

Neo felt her aura dropped and realized, too late, she was the one being shot at. A third shot was fired and Neo felt a shocking, unfamiliar tightness in her gut. Her illusion had been broken, and she tried to raise it again. She was having trouble focusing. A red blotch had appeared on her shirt, and it was growing rapidly. Neo whined when the pain hit, clutching at the hole in her gut. 

An old man in a security guard's uniform turned his gun from Neo to Roman, his hands shaking. 

“No!” Roman roared. His voice was full of pain and fury. Neo took a staggered step towards Roman, but her legs gave out and she fell on her face. Pain shot through her stomach when she hit the ground, and she cried out in agony. 

_ Bang bang bang bang bang click click click. _

Neo heard a body hit the ground, and for a terrifying moment she thought it was Roman's. Moments later, he kneeled beside her, unscathed. 

“Oh gods,” Roman gasped, seeing the blood pooling below her. “You'll be okay Neo, I've got you!”

His hands pressed against the hole in her back, and Neo whimpered.

“I know Neo. I know it hurts but I've got to stop the bleeding,” he said, his voice trembling. “It's gonna be okay. You're going to be okay.”

Neo wasn't sure if she was trying to reassure her or himself. She was starting to feel exhausted, and her vision was blurring. Somehow she knew this was it. She was dying. 

Weakly, she raised her hand and cupped Roman's cheek. He leaned into her touch with a pained sound. 

If this was the end, she wanted to give Roman one last gift. Sirens were sounding, the police coming for them. Neo opened her mouth, trying to get her voice to work. 

“Shhh, it's okay Neo,” Roman said, putting a hand over her own. They were both bloody. Her blood. “Whatever it is you can tell me later, okay? When you're better.”

Neo shook her head. There wouldn't be a later. Not for her, and not for Roman either if he stayed here. 

Again, she tried to force her voice to work. It felt like trying to work a years old knot out of her throat. She made a few grunts and growls before she managed to push out a single word. “Errrr…. Raa…. Rrrrrrrun.”

The sirens were getting quieter. She could see Roman was talking, but she couldn't hear him. Then she could barely see him. Then she couldn't see anything at all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof. This one hurt. I just wanna say i'm sorry for all of your hearts and also please don't hurt me. 
> 
> Don't worry y'all, this is far from the end.


	16. Chapter 16

_ Beep, beep, beep. _

Neo wasn’t sure what she expected. She had never given much thought to the afterlife, surviving always took her attention. One thing she hadn’t expected, though, was a steady beeping and a dry throat.

She struggled to open her eyes, it felt like they were sealed shut. When she cracked them open, the light blinded her. She shut them again with a groan, squirming weakly.

“Neo?”

Her heart stopped. No, she couldn’t be dead. Because if she was then Roman was too, and she couldn’t accept that. She struggled to open her eyes, and the beeping came faster.

“Neo, it’s okay. You’re okay, just breath,” Roman said.

She took a deep breath, calming herself. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked around. She was in a hospital room, laying on a bed. Tubes and wires snaked from her to machines alongside the bed.

“Hey,” Roman greeted, drawing her attention to him. He was sitting in a barely padded chair next to her bed. It was clear he'd tried to clean himself up, but hadn't had time to do a good job. His hair was a mess, and his cheek still had a red tint from her blood. The most shocking thing to Neo was the fact that he was handcuffed to the arm of the chair. She was still under the impression they were dead, and had no idea where there were handcuffs in the afterlife. 

She raised her hands to talk, but two things stopped her. The first, a sharp pain in her gut  when she moved too fast. This confirmed that she was, in fact, not dead. The second, her own handcuffs going taut, linking her to the bed. 

“Easy. You'll pull your stitches or whatever,” Roman said, not bothering to hide his concern. “How are you feeling?”

Neo made a face of distaste. Not great. Roman nodded in understanding and agreement. 

She shook her wrist, jangling the handcuffs. She tilted her head and gave him a curious look. 

“You were shot,” Roman explained, knowing she was asking what happened. “A security guard. I didn't notice the gun. He shot you and I panicked. I killed him.”

He stared at his feet, his wall firmly up. Neo wanted nothing more than to reach out and hold him, comfort him. She was stuck, though. A soft whine escaped her and she tugged on the handcuffs. 

Roman looked at her with a sad smile. “I spent so long holding onto my parent's ideals, their morals. You know what I felt when I killed that old man? When I ran out of bulletsbullets?”

Neo shook her head, her wide eyes on Roman.

“I was angry that I didn’t have more. That I couldn’t kill him again for hurting you,” Roman said with a wry laugh. “Even now I don’t feel remorse or shame. I killed an old man who was doing his job. He probably had a family and stuff. Now he’s dead. And I don’t care.”

Again, Neo wanted desperately to hold him. He was in turmoil, a fundamental truth about himself had been destroyed. She couldn’t begin to imagine what that was like, but she could tell it wasn’t easy.

“You got hurt, and now they’re gonna lock us up. Just because I didn’t pay enough attention. If I had noticed his gun everything would’ve gone according to plan,” Roman sighed, hanging his head. Neo had never seen him look so defeated before. Well, if he wouldn’t get them out of here, she would.

It was a bit tricky to pull the bobby pin out of her hair with only one hand. She was surprised the police and doctors had left it in. She supposed they just hadn't noticed it. With a wave of her hand, an illusion of her rolling over and falling to sleep was raised. Roman sighed again, too busy beating himself up to notice what she was actually doing.

Neo had never picked a lock with one hand before. Mercifully, the lock was almost laughably simple. Neo had her's off in minutes. 

She extended her wall of illusion so Roman was behind it. Then she slipped out of bed. Roman's head jerked up at the motion, and Neo put a finger to her lips to silence him. Silently, she padded across the floor. The wires connecting her to the machines went taut, stopping her from going the full distance. 

“Lift the chair,” she said, giving the wires a meaningful glance. If they were unplugged the steady beeping would stop, and doctors would rush in. At least, that's what she had seen on tv.

Roman nodded, his face set. Now that they had a plan, a way out, his business face was back. Neo smiled. 

It was much easier to pick Roman's cuffs, since she could use both her hands. Though having to keep the illusion up slowed her down.

Roman explained his plan in sign over his hands were free. Neo was relieved he had come up with one so fast. It meant he was okay, still focused. Also this was as far as she'd gotten. 

Roman unlocked the window while Neo held the illusion. It didn't take him long and after he had it open, he waved her over. It was time to go.

Neo started unhooking herself from the machines, and the steady beeping turned into a dull tone. She yanked the iv out of her arm and winced in pain. Blood dribbled from her arm and she pressed her palm to the wound. It wasn't bad, or dangerous she thought, but it hurt like hell. 

Roman urged her towards him, half out of the window. The door burst open, a doctor and a nurse pushing a cart. A cop was hot on their heels, probably wanting to make sure the two criminals weren't up to something. Which, of course, they were. All they saw, though, was Neo in her bed and Roman in his chair, both asleep. That gave Neo the time she needed. She threw herself at Roman and they fell out of the window. Roman curled himself around her, and all they left behind was the sound of shattering glass. 

The ground hit them like a truck, knocking the wind out of them both. People where walking in and out of the hospital, and they scattered when they hit the ground. There were concerned and confused murmurs, a few people moving towards them. 

Neo recovered first, gasping for breath. She could see Roman’s aura, an orange net weaved over his body. She shook him, they had to move. He struggled to breathe for a second, then managed to suck in a desperate breath. Neo pulled herself off of him, aching. Roman groaned in pain, rolling onto his hands and knees. She tugged on his arm, trying to urge him on. She would take care of him when they were safe.

Roman nodded, panting and wheezing. He crawled to his feet, and the pair took stumbling steps forward. They supported each other, both aching from the fall. Neo’s arm still bled, and her stomach felt like she was being stabbed. It was clear for her to see that Roman wasn’t doing better. His aura had took the majority of the fall, but it still hurt him.

“Hey! Stop those kids!” A cop ran out of the hospital, drawing attention to the pair when he saw them. Neo waved her hand, creating half a dozen illusions of them running in different directions. That would buy them the time that they needed.

The two picked up speed, moving as fast as their battered bodies would allow. The left the hospital behind, slipping onto the street before the cop could figure out what was happening. Neo’s aura was running low, but she had enough to create an illusion around them. She would be able to get them home unnoticed. 

They burst through the door to their motel room, breathless and aching. As one, they collapsed onto the bed, panting. For a long time, they both just lay there. Finally, Neo rolled over. She sat up so he could see her sign.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Roman sighed, rubbing his eyes. “I think so. And honestly that worries me. I killed a man, Neo. I shot him until the gun was empty. And I don’t feel anything. I was always worried that if I ever crossed that line it would ruin me.”

He flopped his head back onto the bed. “I don’t care though. What do I do with that?”

Neo shrugged. “Why do you have to do anything with it?”   
Roman looked up at her, “What do you mean?”

“I mean, why is this a bad thing? Would you rather feel terrible about it?” she asked.

Roman frowned, staring up at the ceiling. Neo stroked his hair while he thought, humming a soft song.

“I guess not,” he said at last. “It’s just … weird. You know?”

Neo nodded, though she didn’t have even the slightest clue what he was going through. Roman suddenly sat up and pulled her into a tight hug. It made her stomach hurt, but she leaned into it happily. 

“I thought I’d lost you, Neo,” he whispered. He was crying, she realized. Neo wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him as tight as her wounds would allow. “I was terrified you were going to die. I didn’t know what to do, I couldn’t help you.”

He trembled, and Neo all but curled herself around him. She thought she was going to die too, but it killed her seeing how much the possibility hurt him. No matter what, she wouldn’t put him through this again. She swore to herself she’d never let Roman hurt like this. She rubbed his back, humming again. Music soothed them both, and she wanted to do everything she could to help him.

It felt like nearly an hour before Roman calmed down. Neo didn’t let him go until he did. He rubbed at his eyes, trying to collect himself.

“Come on,” he said, untangling himself from her, “I wanna make sure your wound is okay. It might’ve opened in all the excitement.”

Neo nodded and, after a moments though, leaned over and kissed him. For a long moment, she held him, her hand resting on his cheek.

When at last she pulled back, he smiled at her. “I love you too, Neo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told y'all that everything would be okay! So hopefully, the angry mob will disperse. Please. Don't kill me.
> 
> Anyway, now our partners in creme are wanted criminals. That's fun, right? I think we'll get a pretty non angsty chapter next. At least, that's my plan. Who knows how it'll really go. Not me that's for damn sure.


	17. Chapter 17

The next few weeks were hard. They had to move, which was probably the easiest part. The new motel room was barely different than the old one, so Neo wasn't upset about that. Roman explained they had to lay low for a while, since the police would probably be looking for them. So, Neo disguised them with her semblance when they were renting the room. That would keep them safe, or at least safer. 

The difficulty came after they were moved. Roman all but placed her under house arrest, saying she needed to rest and heal. 

The doctors had saved Neo's life, of that the was no doubt. She still had a lot of healing to do, though. Their escape had been fueled purely by adrenalin and the drugs that had been in her IV. When they were gone, the pain hit her like a truck. She wasn't going to be picking pockets or robbing stores anytime soon. 

Roman was right, obviously. She needed to stay home, rest. She just didn't like it. She didn't like putting all the work on Roman and she didn't like being stuck in the motel. Roman didn't complain though. In fact, he did everything he could to make sure she was comfortable and happy. Neo could tell he still blamed himself for her bullet wound. She didn't like that either. 

Neo let him fuss. Trying to argue wouldn't lead anywhere good. Admittedly, she did enjoy the attention. It made her confinement much easier. Drawing, TV, and music could only occupy her for so long. It didn't help that Roman was gone most of the tim, lifting enough wallets and stealing enough food to keep them going had him busy. 

The worst came two weeks after their hospital adventure. Neo was laying belly up on the bed, her head dangling off the edge. A game show was on the tv, about the only kind of show that didn't bore her to tears. Everything else was stupid stories about stupid people with stupid problems. 

The door opened and Neo smiled. Roman was home. Without looking up, she waved. She was engrossed in her show, trying to figure out the hidden phrase before the contestants did. 

“Hey Neo,” Roman said, setting a bag of food on the counter of the kitchenette. He paused, looking at the TV. After a moment's thought, he declared, “You snooze you lose.”

Mere seconds after, one of the contestants guessed the same thing. The host revealed the answer, showing both Roman and the contestant to be right. Neo sat up, glaring at Roman. She had almost had it!

“Sorry Neo,” Roman laughed, “but you snooze you lose.”

Neo threw a pillow at him with an annoyed huff, then flopped back to the bed as the next puzzle started. Roman stared at her for long moment, then sighed. “Neo.”

She sat up again, tilting her head curiously. He sounded almost afraid. That worried Neo. 

“You know I love you, right?” he asked. She nodded, narrowing her eyes. “And you know i love your hair, right?”

This time, she smiled, brushing her fingers through her hair. She used to hate it, how different and strange it was. Thanks to Roman, though, she'd learned to love it. Now she thought of her hair as cute and unique. 

Roman gave her almost a mournful smile, pulling a pair of boxes out of the bag of groceries. “Good. Then you know I'm not any happier about this than you are.”

“What are you talking about? What are those?” Neo asked, narrowing her eyes. She didn't know what he was talking about, but she knew she didn't like it. 

“Hair dye,” Roman answered, refusing to meet her eye.

“No.” she answered, her hands moving fast and sharp.

“Neo I don't like it either, but we're wanted now. We need to disappear for a while,” Roman insisted. 

Neo repeated the sign, shaking her head for good measure. The was no way! “I can use my semblance to disguise myself!”

“You already don't have a lot of aura, you shouldn't be draining it constantly like that,” he argued. “That little bit of aura could make a difference if… if we get in trouble again.”

Neo sighed, the fight draining from her. He was thinking about the bank again. Still blaming himself.

“Fine,” she said, defeated. But she wouldn't be going down alone. “But you have to dye your hair too!”

Roman turned the boxes so she could see the labels. One black, one brown. 

“We're partners, right? That means we share everything,” he said, a bit bitterly. He liked his own hair as much as he liked Neo's. “Besides, it's not like I blend in much better than you.”

Glaring at him, Neo snatched the black hair dye. Roman was right, as always, and she'd do it. She didn't have to be happy about it though. 

She stormed into the bathroom, making sure to lock the door in an act of protest. If it weren't for the instructions on the box, Neo wouldn't have had the slightest idea what she was doing. An hour and a half later, though, she left the bathroom with hair black as pitch and still dripping wet. Half of it was just a bit lighter, the only remnant of the pink and brown split that used to dominate her hair. She scowl at Roman, looking for all the world like a soaked cat.

Roman walked towards her almost reverently and pulled her into a kiss. The tension in her body melted away and she leaned into him with a soft sigh. He released her wrist, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. She cupped his cheek, losing herself in him. They stayed like that for a long time, holding each other close. Finally, they pulled back for air. 

“I do really love you, Neo,” he assured her. Then, with a grin, added, “Even if you look more like black liquorice than neapolitan.”

She swatted him in the chest, her scowl returning, “I’m still mad at you.”

“Yeah yeah, I’m mean and evil,” Roman said, waving a hand. “Now lemme go. It’s my turn to look ordinary.”

Neo made a disgusted face, untangling herself. 

Roman laughed, “Yeah. I know, I hate it too.”

She stuck out her tongue, then hopped onto the bed. With one last smile, Roman slipped into the bathroom to dye his hair. Neo turned her attention back to the TV, just in time for another show to start. She laid on her stomach, propping her chin on her hands. She kicked her feet, putting her mind to the new puzzle. This one was ‘Fun and Games’

One hour and nine puzzles later, Neo had failed to solve a single one. She glared at the TV, trying to solve the tenth puzzle, with no more luck than the previous nine. Roman stepped out of the bathroom, pulling her away from the wordplay she was never going to solve. He was towling his hair dry and was, again, shirtless.

“Okay, be honest,” Roman said, pulling the towel away. “How do I look?”

When he went in to the bathroom, his hair was a bright, vibrant orange that made him stand out. Now it was a dull, boring brown.

“You look ordinary,” Neo said with just a little pout. She had liked his hair. It made him look warm, more alive than everyone else. Now he just looked … like everyone else.

“Gross,” Roman sighed. He flopped onto the bed next to her, blowing a raspberry. “It's only for a few months. Until everything has calmed down a little.”

Neo wasn't sure if he was trying to convince her, or himself. She stroked his hair, trying not to scowl at the color. The room filled with the sound of her humming, and Roman relaxed, his eyes closing.

He started singing along, his voice tender and warm.

“You're just too good to be true   
I can't take my eyes off you   
You'd be like heaven to touch   
I wanna hold you so much   
At long last love has arrived   
And I thank God I'm alive   
You're just too good to be true   
Can't take my eyes off you.”

He opened his eyes and smiled up at her. She smiled back, then pressed a kiss against his lips. It was soft, loving, saying a thousand words neither of them could find a way to say.

“You're still beautiful, you know,” he sighed happily once she pulled away. 

Neo's heart swelled. She traced his cheek with her fingertips, smiling down at him. She only pulled away long enough to say, “So are you.”

The way Roman smiled, Neo knew it had the same effect on him. She loved it when he smiled. 

“We're gonna be okay,” he said, leaning into her touch. She nodded. They would be. “You and me versus the world, and we'll always come out on top. We'll lie, cheat, steal, and we'll always survive. As long as we're together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another beach episode! I'm just a sucker for these two, loving each other. Sue me. 
> 
> Anyway Neo's hair is dead, press F to pay respects. I know it would've been faster if Roman had dyed his hair at the same time but Neo was pouting SO
> 
> I think we're gonna see Cinder soon Roman's notoriety is growing. Probably not next chapter but... she's coming


	18. Chapter 18

It was surprisingly easy to disappear into the underbelly of Vale. It wasn't like the powers that be kept track of them to begin with, so with their unmistakable hair hidden they may as well had been ghosts.

The hole in Neo's gut had her out of commission for months. Roman fussed over her and she fussed right back. She didn't like being idle for so long, and she didn't like putting everything on Roman. It only took opening her wound once to convince her, though. She did her best to relax and recover.

It was nearing her sixteenth birthday, and under Roman's loving care she was all but healed. Her stomach still ached, and the skin there felt too tight, but she seemed to be back in her prime. Or at least, enough that Roman agreed to let her work again. 

They started easy, just lifting wallets. It took Neo a couple of weeks to get back into shape, months of taking it easy had a way of making a person slow.

Soon, though, things were back to normal. Mostly. The dye was fading from their hair, though the black and brown were still the dominant shades. Time didn’t make Neo like it anymore, but it did make easier to ignore. Especially since she was out of the motel. Of course, with her only picking pockets things were getting a little tight. It was the robberies that let them afford the place, and Neo refused to let Roman go alone. 

“It's gonna be close,” Roman sighed, poking through their savings. “But I think we'll make it. As long as we don't get too many empties.”

He leaned back in his chair, scrubbing his face with his hands. Neo hopped onto the table, getting Roman’s attention. “We need to do another holdup.”

Roman frowned, folding his hands behind his head. “Not yet. We can make it through this month.”

Neo shook her head, glaring at him. “Stop worrying so much. I’m better, and I’m ready.”

“We shouldn’t take any risks,” Roman insisted, “Lets just take it easy.”

“Just a gas station or something. Nothing big. Nothing dangerous. In and out. No risk.” She took his hand, giving it a soft squeeze and a reassuring smile. She could handle it.

“Okay, okay fine,” Roman said. He pointed a warning finger at her, trying to look serious. “But at the first sign of trouble we’re out.”

She drew a little x over her chest and grinned at him. Cross her heart.

While Roman had the clerk emptying the register, Neo walked through the shelves loading a backpack with food and drinks. It was her first exciting job in almost half a year, and she wanted to make the most of it.

“Scuse me lil’ miss. I was about to purchase those Peanut Punchers.” A lanky man said calmly. He had long red hair tied in a braid and a well groomed foo man chu. A pair of long floppy ears drooped from under his cowboy hat. A faunus, dog from the looks of it.

Neo frowned, clutching her bag to her chest. Where the hell had this guy even come from? The store was empty a second ago. Besides, Peanut Punchers were her favorite.

“Awe come on now. You can’t expect me to believe a little thing like you can eat all that,” he said, trying to appease her. 

“Neo? What are you doing?” Roman called. “I got the money, let’s get out of here.”

He turned the corner, toting a bag full of lien. When he caught sight of the man, he frowned. The man frowned right back. Roman leveled his gun at him.

“Now you kids wouldn’t be tryin’ to rob this fine establishment, would you?” he asked, calm despite the weapon pointed his way. Neo pulled her knife and moved to Roman’s side, taking the candy with her. The man grinned, reaching into his duster, “Well hell, it was a slow night anyway. Let’s see what ya got.”

“I don’t want to hurt you. We’ve got what we want. We’ll be going now,” Roman said, keeping his voice low and dangerous. Neo flipped her knife into a backhand, and the two started backing up.

“Y’all are cute,” the man chuckled, “Seems you don’t know who it is you’re messing with. Well I s’pose this’ll be a learning experience for you.”

He pulled a length of metal that extended into a sniper rifle. Roman opened fire before he had a chance to level it at the pair. The sound of gunfire filled the store, but the man ducked around the bullets with inhuman speed. With the grinding of metal, the rifle shifted and split into a pair of escrima sticks. They crackled with electricity as he flourished them.

“You need to work on your aim, matchstick,” he drawled. Roman fired again and again, but the man dodged every one, moving closer and closer. Neo had never seen someone move so fast, and panic twisted her gut. This was supposed to be easy! Safe! Who was this guy?

The gun clicked empty, and Neo slipped between Roman and the man as her partner reloaded. Now that he didn’t have to dodge bullets, the man was free to rush them. Neo ducked under the first stick, taking a slash at the man’s gut. He blocked it easily, and her hand and arm clenched as electricity sparked through the metal of her dagger and into her. She hissed and slid to the side, leaping onto the shelf. Cans and bottles fell to the floor with a clatter.

“Not bad kid. Neo, right? That’s what your partner called you, innit?” he asked. Grinning at Neo, he took off his hat and perched it on top of a rack. His ears flopped as he shook his head, laughing. “Name’s Fern. Red Fern. Figured it was only polite to give ya my name. That way I don’t have you at a disadvantage. Well, any more of one.”

With a snarl, Neo lunged at him, slashing at his throat. He ducked backwards, blocking her knife with his sticks. Again, her muscles tightened as she was electrocuted. He smirked at her, and shoved her back into the shelf. It teetered dangerously, and more food fell to the floor noisily. Neo’s weight wasn’t enough to displace it, though, and it righted itself with a thud.

“Stay the hell away from her!” Roman shouted. He opened fire again, drawing Fern’s attention to himself. 

“Protecting your partner. I can admire that,” he said. He dodged and deflected with his weapons. Roman managed to blow a few holes in his duster, but that was it. Fern rushed forward, jabbing into Roman’s gut. Roman’s teeth clenched and his back arched from the electricity. Fern held him there, letting the constant damage burn through his aura.

Neo pulled herself off the ground, gritting her teeth. They couldn’t win this, they had to get out of here. Neo grabbed a bag of flour off the shelf and flipped over Fern. She slashed the bag open and threw it in Fern’s face, blinding him. She grabbed Roman and pulled him away. It felt like Roman was made of stone his muscles were so tense. 

With a wave of her hand, they vanished behind an illusion. Roman was stunned from the electricity, his head undoubtedly a jumble of white noise. Neo guided him not towards the front door, but to the back of the store. This inhuman monster, Fern, would expect them to go out the front.

“Now that’s a fancy trick kid,” Fern said. His laugh was a deep, and rolling. It almost sounded like a growl. “I imagine that works on everyone. Too bad it won’t work on me.”

He sniffed the air, his mustache twitching. They way it hung and moved with his nose, it looked almost like jowls. With a jolt of panic, Neo realized he was using his faunus senses to zero in on them. Her illusions only blocked sight, leaving them wide open to this unique form of tracking. Neo tried to move them faster, urgently tugging the confused Roman along.

Before they could get to safety, Fern fused his escrima back into a sniper rifle and fired a shot. He moved like water, his actions clearly honed through years of practice and practical application. If Roman’s pistol was a crack, Fern’s rifle was a boom. It filled the room, leaving Roman and Neo’s ears ringing. The force of the bullet knocked Roman out of her arms and sent her reeling. Her illusion shattered, but she couldn’t hear the tinkling of glass. Only the echoes of the gun shot.

Roman had been thrown against the wall, and lay in a stunned heap. Neo snatched up his gun and planted herself in front of him. She brought her two weapons to bear, snarling at Fern. She wouldn’t let him touch Roman again. She’d protect him with her life, if she had to.

“Oh don’t get your britches in a bunch,” Fern said, rolling his eyes. His sniper rifle folded up and he tucked it back in his jacket. “I’m a bounty hunter, not a killer.”

Neo was never a good shot. That was why Roman had the gun. She was good enough of a shot that she could hit a target at point blank range, though. The gun cracked as she rushed him, but he easily tanked the shots with his aura. Neo launched herself at him, still firing and aiming her knife at his neck. He whipped a flail from his jacket a cracked her in the jaw with it. She saw stars as she flew back, a web of rainbow light dancing over her body. Her aura failing. She picked herself off the ground, raising her weapons again.

“Get it through your head, girl. You’re swinging out of your weight class,” Fern drawled. He swung his weapon at her, even though she was far out of it’s range. Instinctively, Neo jumped back to avoid the blow. The head of the flail broke off it’s chain and flew at Neo. It split into three separate weights, linked with a branching rope. Before she could dodge out of the way, the bolas tangled around her legs, causing her to stagger and fall. He pushed the now empty handle into his jacket, and with a click a new head was attached. Neo raised her gun to shoot, but he launched the new flail head at her. It split just like the projectile before it, and pinned her arms to her side. The way her arms were bent, the pistol was almost pointed at her chin. She thrashed silently, trying to break free. Roman was starting to slowly stir, so Fern lobbed a set of bolas his way, leaving the pair of crooks bound and helpless.

“Alright… let's see what we got here,” Fern said calmly. He returned his weapon to his duster, then withdrew a little blue book. Muttering to himself, he started flipping through the book, occasionally glancing up at his captives. He didn’t speak until he had gone through the whole book, and by then he looked annoyed. With a soft thump, he closed the book and tucked it back in his pocket. “You two are pretty good. Thought for sure you’d have an official bounty, at least a little bit.. Not a damn thing, though. Waste of time and dust. Tell ya what, though, I’ll make ya a deal.”

He picked his hat back up and dusted it off, then slowly walked towards Neo. His boots jangled with spurs, and he put his hat on as he crouched next to her.

“I wouldn’t get much of anything turning you in. Good deeds don’t pay too well, ya see. And I ain’t in this business for my conscious,” he said, “But, if I let you go, then y’all can go and run yourself up a bounty. That way next time we meet, y’all will be worth my time. So, here’s my bargain…”

He touched first one, then the other set of bolas, and they retracted into metallic black orbs. Before Neo could scramble away, Fern grabbed her wrist in an iron grip. Her skin burned where his thumb pressed against it. She thrashed, trying to stab at him, but he easily knocked the blade out of her hand.

“I’ll give y’all … oh … two years, lets say,” Fern said conversationally. Neo’s heart pounded in her chest, and she kicked and punched at him, but her blows bounced off his aura. “Yeah. Two years sound good. In two years I’m gonna come back. And if y’all have a bounty, we’ll have ourselves a little rematch. If not, well …maybe I lied. Maybe I am a killer, when the mood strikes me.”

He finally let go, and Neo scrambled backwards, clutching her wrist to her chest. She looked down at it, chest heaving and eyes wide. A small paw print had been branded onto her inner wrist, right where Fern’s thumb was rested. 

He laughed, walking over to Roman and repeated the process. He bellowed in pain, confused and still dazed. Neo snarled and leapt at Fern, but he knocked her way with a backhand. Once Roman was branded too, Fern stood and dusted off his pants. 

“There we go. Now y’all are marked with my semblance. I got your scent, and there ain’t no hiding from me once I got your scent. Remember, I’ll be back in two years. Y’all better make it worth my time.”

With a laugh and a wave, he walked away. He tossed a lien chit on the counter as he left, tipping his hat at the terrified woman behind the counter. “For the damages. Have yourself a nice evening ma’am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I'm so late. I'm sorry for the delay, I hada nasty cold that made writing a pipe dream. I'm (mostly) healthy now, so that means more Ice Cream for you! Good news!
> 
> More good news (for me at least) I started college yesterday! That's exciting!
> 
> News that is less than good: With the added workload of college I'm not sure I'll be able to keep my weekly update schedule. I'm going to try, and I'm going to write whenever I get the time. Being a full time student with a part time job takes up time though so... we'll see. 
> 
> I wanna state for the record that this story is not abandoned. Updates will still be coming. Just not quite as regular and not quite as often. Sorry about that.


	19. Chapter 19

Vale was a cold city, an uncaring city. It allowed kids to go hungry in the streets, their bodies frozen in alleys or sunk in the harbor. People kept to themselves, ignoring the problems of everyone around them. For once, that worked in their favor. 

Still dazed and confused, Roman leaned heavily on Neo. She ached from being electrocuted and knocked around by Fern. As a result, it was slow going. No one paid attention to the pair of teens hobbling down the street, though. They put their head down, crossed to the other side of the street. Anything to make it easier to ignore them. 

More than once, they had to duck into a back alley as wailing police cars drove by. They had left quite a scene behind, and it seemed the cops had taken an interest. Fortunately, Neo was very good at staying hidden, even with no aura for her Semblance. So the two were able to hobble back to their room unmolested. 

They burst through the door, panting and aching. Neo dropped Roman on the bed, then locked the door and moved a chair to block it. She didn't feel safe, like Fern had already started hunting them. She didn't think a locked and blocked door would stop him if he was, but it made her feel just a bit safer. 

She explained what had happened while Roman checked her stomach, making sure she hadn't hurt herself. Thankfully, it looked no less healed than it had that morning. He traced his fingers around the scab, making her shiver. 

“Two years,” Roman mused.

Neo nodded, rubbing the brand with her thumb. She couldn't look at him. This was her fault. If she'd just been more patient, listened to Roman-

“Neo?” Roman's voice was soft, worried. She glanced up at him, then quickly looked away. “Neo what's wrong?”

“I'm sorry,” she signed, still not looking up.

“This wasn't your fault,” Roman promised. He scooted closer to her, his natural warmth seeping into her. Something that never failed to comfort her.

She didn't want comforting right now, though. She felt like she had to be guilty. Roman had been hurt, and they had a sword hanging over their heads. She scooted away, hugging herself. 

Roman frowned and closed the gap again. “You can't blame yourself for this. You had no way of knowing there'd be a crazed bounty hunter there. You're an amazing girl Neo, but even you aren't psychic.”

Again, Neo scooted away, and again, Roman followed her. “If you make me follow you off the bed and onto the floor I will.”

She scooted to the edge of the bed, trying to ignore the warm feeling flowing through her. She was feeling guilty, damnit!

Roman grinned, probably sensing it was working. For a third time, he pressed against her. This time, she couldn't scoot away. 

“If you're trying to hand out blame, be sure to save some for me. I agreed to this job, so it's just as much my fault as yours,” he said, putting an arm around her. “We're partners, right? That means we share everything. Even blame.”

That did it. She leaned into him with an annoyed huff. “You're a jerk.”

“Yeah, but you love me,” he countered, giving her a squeeze.

Neo nodded, pressing against him and leeching his comfortable warmth. She did love him, more than anything in the world. She'd be lost without this smug redhead. And now, because of her-

“Hey, we're gonna be okay,” Roman said, rubbing her shoulder. It was as if he sensed her thoughts turning to blaming herself again. “We'll be ready for him. This isn't the first time someone tried to stop us. We'll deal with him just like we dealt with Brock and Turk. Just like we dealt with Byzzi.”

She nodded, nuzzling into him. Remembering Byzzi, the power she had held over the girl, made her feel better. He was right, they would be ready. 

“We'll need better weapons,” she said, trying not to look hopeful.

“Much better,” Roman agreed, “and we'll need to get more experience fighting.”

“How do we do that?” she asked, finally looking up at him. 

He smiled, stroking his hair. There was worry behind his smile, and they both knew she saw it. Roman really was excited, though. Just like her., “It means, my dear Neo, it's time to move to the big leagues. Fern, in a way, is going to get his wish. We're done scrambling in the shadows for scraps.”

Neo smiled back, her own excitement burning away her fear, guilt, and worry. “Bigger jobs?”

“Bigger jobs,” he confirmed, “and we're done playing nice. If there's trouble, don't hesitate, okay?”

Neo nodded, actually feeling a shudder of excitement. She didn't have to hold back anymore. 

“Good, I don't want anything like bank to happen again.” Roman traced his fingers over her stomach as he spoke. His touch drew a very different sort of shudder out of her, one she couldn't quite put a name to. She liked it. She wanted more. 

Neo leaned up and kissed Roman. It wasn't like the soft, fleeting kisses they shared in the past. It was hard, and it lingered. Roman let out a confused noise, but he didn't pull away. He let Neo take as much as she wanted. 

Much to Neo's annoyance she had to pull back for air. She felt hot, and her breathing was short. Roman wasn't doing much better. 

“Not that I didn't enjoy that, but what brought that on?” Roman asked, a bit breathless.

Neo shrugged, “Wanted to.”

Roman laughed quietly, shaking his head. “Neo believe me when I say there is nothing I want more than to continue this. Unfortunately, I don't think I have the stamina or constitution too see this to its conclusion.”

Neo tilted her head, asking him to elaborate. She wasn't quite as eloquent as him. Never had to be, since he did the talking for both of them. 

“I'm tired and in a fair bit of pain, Neo. I imagine you are too,” he said with another laugh. “The best idea, I think, is to rest.”

Neo pouted, but he was right. She could already feel bruises forming where she had slammed into the shelves. 

“Later?” she asked, looking up at him hopefully. 

Roman smiled. He leaned down and kissed her as hard as she kissed him. It was like the kiss was burning the air out of her lungs. Neo let out a sort of whining sigh, barely audible. She felt Roman smile before he pulled away. 

“Later,” he agreed. His mischievous smile was met with an annoyed glare as Neo tried to catch her breath, “Most definitely later.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay wow, that took a lot longer than I expected. Sorry about that. Turns out, not going to school for ten years then suddenly becoming a full time student with a job kinda takes a lot out of you. I'm getting back into the swing of things, though. I doubt we'll be back to the weekly updates anytime soon, but hopefully the next one won't take quite so long. Hopefully.
> 
> In the interest of honesty I'm gonna let y'all know I'm not gonna write smut in this. If they end up doing the do it'll just be a fade to black. Maybe, if there's enough of a demand for it, I'll write it as a separate piece. I dunno. Honestly haven't thought about it much.
> 
> Now we're getting into the thick of it. Neo and Roman are gonna start making a name for themselves. Rubbing elbows with important people. Maybe we'll see another canon character soon? That'd be fun, right?


	20. Chapter 20

From an outside perspective, it would look as if Roman's plans were becoming reckless. Before, they almost never crossed paths with the police. Roman made sure they were long gone before the boys in blue arrived. After their run in with Fern, every job was a narrow escape. It would seem that they were extraordinarily lucky.

“We have you surrounded. Come out with your hands up.” The police did indeed have the building surrounded. Three cars were parked in front of the small jewelry store. Each one had two cops behind it, pointing their guns at the door. There was no escape in the back, just a solid brick wall. Neo was almost impressed. 

Unfortunately for the police, Roman was far from reckless. Every ‘lucky’ escape was carefully orchestrated, planned before they even left home. The goal was no longer to get in and out quietly. It was now to get as much attention as possible. 

Neo leaned on the counter, picking through the jewelry. They'd already loaded a bag to fence. She was seeing if anything caught her eye. She tried on a string of black pearls, admiring herself in the little mirror on the counter. 

“I like it,” Roman said, looking over her shoulder. Neo beamed, adjusting her new necklace. It was long enough she could loop it around her thin neck three times and still have it hang low. She liked it though, and so did Roman. She'd be keeping it.

Roman was walking among their hostages. Two employees and three customers, all of whom seemed wary of the armed teenagers. 

“You kids should turn yourselves in,” an older man said. Round and ruddy, with a thick black mustache. He wore a black bowler hat and a suit that looked like it was well fitted twenty pounds ago. He must have been very used to getting his way, because he didn't seem too concerned about the gun. That is, until Roman pointed it straight at him. Then his red complexion paled to pink. 

“My good man, you seem to be under the impression that we're just some punk kids in over our heads,” Roman said. He sounded calm, almost amicable. Neo giggled silently as the man started to sweat. Well, more than he already was. Roman continued, casually waving the gun as he spoke. “I promise you, we know exactly what we're doing. We're going to own this city. Starting. With. You.”

When he finished talking, the pistol was pressed against the big man's trembling forehead. Neo, now perched on the counter, found herself wondering if he would pull the trigger. If he even could. 

The man sputtered apologetic nonsense and Roman grinned. Slowly, he raised his free hand to the man's head and…

Took his hat. Roman plopped it in his head, turning to Neo with a laugh. 

“How do I look?” he asked.

Neo waggled her hand back and forth, the universal signal for ‘eh’. She was smiling, though, so Roman could tell she was just teasing him. He made it work. 

“Maybe I should get a suit,” he mused, looking over the now relieved man, “Not black. Black looks terrible on me. White?”

Neo made a soft noise that could be described as a mouse clearing its throat. Just enough to get Roman's attention. He looked her way and she tapped her wrist expectantly. They'd waited long enough. Roman smiled and nodded. Showtime.

“Ladies and gentlemen, you've been a lovely audience. But i'm afraid it's time for the curtain call on our performance,” Roman said with a theatrical bow. “If you could calmly proceed to the exit we can begin our closing act.”

The hostages stared at Roman in terrified confusion. How could he just be letting them go? Especially after the display he'd just put on, and after his bold claim. 

“I'm sorry, did I say calmly proceed?” Roman asked, both annoyed and amused by their lack of response. He fired his gun in the air, raising his voice, “I meant oh gods oh gods run for your life we're all going to die.”

The now very fearful hostages scrambled to their feet and ran for the door. Roman tucked his gun into his belt and held out his arm to Neo.

“Shall we?” he asked.

Neo sheathed her knife and happily took his arm. Together, they sauntered outside. Six guns clicked as they were leveled at pair.

“Good afternoon, Officers,” Roman said, half heartedly raising the hand that wasn't occupied by Neo. His voice carried across the square, confident and full. He'd been practicing. 

“Get down on the ground and put your hands behind your head!” one of the cops shouted. Neo almost laughed.

“We'd like to thank you for your part in today's performance. For those of you who don't know, I'm Roman Torchwick. That's one word, Torchwick. This lovely young lady is my partner Neo Politan. That's two words. First name Neo last name Politan. Make sure you write that down. If it's wrong on the news tonight I'm going to be cranky.”

“On the ground!” the police insisted.

“I must politely decline. Officers, it's been a delight. But I bid you a good day,” Roman said, tipping his new bowler hat, “Neo, if you would?”

Neo smiled innocently and bowed to the police. As she did so, she raised an illusion wall, hiding both them and their escape route. Once it was safe to do so, Neo snatched Roman's hand and the pair began to run. 

There was a moment of confusion as the officers tried to figure out what, exactly was happening. To them, it looked as if the pair of young criminals were just waiting. Unfortunately, sight wasn't their only sense. Too late, Neo noticed the mouse ears poking from one of the officer's hair. 

“They're escaping!” she shouted, pointing her gun straight at them, “It's some kind of illusion!”

She opened fire, shattering Neo's wall. Roman pulled Neo behind him, tanking the shots with his aura.

“Fucking faunus!” he barked, annoyed at the flaw in his plan. 

“Don't let them get away!” one of the cops shouted. They all turned and started shooting, their confusion short lived. 

“Plan B, Neo!” Roman shouted. She grinned and grabbed his hand. Plan B was her favorite. Roman whirled, swinging Neo towards the cars. At the last moment he let go, sending her flying at their assailants.

Roman's aim was only getting better with practice. Neo slammed feet first into a cop, sending him flying with a crack of broken ribs. She landed on her feet, her sneakers skidding on the pavement.

Pistols barked as Roman traded fire with the police. One of them rushed Neo, his nightstick out. She ducked around him, then dropped him with a butterfly kick. The feel of her feet connecting with his face was beyond satisfying to Neo. She leaned over his unconscious body and snatched the keys off his belt. Time to go. 

“Hey! Heyheyhey stop her!” one of the cops shouted, noticing too late what she was doing. She had hopped in the nearest car and used her newly acquired keys started it up. They ran at her, but too late. Tires squealed as she shot off. 

The passenger door was still hanging open from the cops using it as cover. As she sped by, Roman dived in with a grunt.

“Gods, if I had known you were such a speed demon, I would've read the book on driving myself,” Roman complained as he tried to get himself situated. Neo giggled and turned on the siren. They weren't stopping at any red lights, they had a car and some jewelry to sell. 

* * *

“I don't think we can put it off anymore,” Roman said. They had successfully unloaded their stolen goods and escaped to their motel. A chopshop gave them a pittance for the cop car, but their usual fence gave them much more for the jewelry. They were bit sore and annoyed, but no worse for wear. Neo rubbed his shoulders as he continued, “We need better weapons. Something with more power, and maybe some kind of shield for you.”

Neo nodded. She knew this was coming, so she had been doing research. Reaching past Roman, she tapped the screen of their burner scroll to pull up a web page.

“JADE?” Roman asked, reading the acronym. He grabbed the scroll and started pulling up pages on the owner. “Let's see. First business, supported by his father. Looks like the old man has a hand in construction, sanitation, fishing. Wealthy, but nothing too high profile. I doubt Junior even knows what he's getting into.  Neo, I think this is the perfect target!”

Neo beamed and hugged Roman from behind. She knew he'd love it!

“Junior's Ammo and Dust Emporium,” Roman mused, taking Neo's hand in his own. “Tomorrow night. That's when we'll hit it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Roman Empire begins!
> 
> Sorry it took so long, but I'm starting to get back into the swing of it. I'm really pleased with this chapter. The combat feels fun and on brand for RWBY, Roman's dialogue was a blast to write, and we get to see a character I've been sitting on for a while. Plus we start to see Roman's negative attitude on the faunus.
> 
> Oh, and Junior will be there too, I guess.
> 
> Thank you all for sticking with me and supporting me. It means so much. I love you all!


	21. Chapter 21

They cased JADE for a week, and found the security was laughable. Sure, all the gear was top of the line, but the breaker box was outside. It would be child's play to flip the breaker and turn all that fancy security off. Roman thought it was almost too easy. Almost. 

“You know, if the security was just a bit worse I'd think it's a trap,” Roman said. They were walking home, Roman’s mind on the heist. 

Neo's mind was on swords, knives, and the other sharp implements that were in her future. She tilted her head at Roman, hands forming a question. “But you don't?”

“No. I just think it was designed by an idiot. Someone with more money than brains, ” Roman scoffed. “The perfect mark. This will be one of our easiest jobs.”

And it was. They got in with no trouble. It went so smoothly, in fact, that they were able to take their time and pick out weapons they liked.

It seemed all the fancy huntsman type weapons were custom made, because there were none mixed in with the more basic weapons. Much to Roman’s disappointment. 

Unable to get anything really fancy, Roman settled for practical. A collapsible baton for power and stealth, and a shiny white revolver. 

Neo, on the other hand, snatched up a needle thin rapier. It was light, fast, sharp, and most of all deadly. Just like her. Roman insisted she take a hard light dust infused cloak, for protection. After Roman explained to her what dust was, she agreed. 

The ice blue color of the cloak irked her, though. So, using the money they looted from the safe, they decided to update their wardrobes.

Roman got his suit. A well fitted jacket, white on the outside and red on the inside with shiny gold buttons. Black slacks matched his new hat (which he had cleaned), and a gray scarf brought the whole outfit together. 

Neo's outfit took inspiration from Roman's. A white half jacket with a long tail and a pink interior. It was worn over a brown corset that showed off her hips, Neo was pleased to see Roman noticing that fact. Brown pants instead of black, though they were so dark they would seem black in dim light. Lastly, white boots that went nearly to her knees. A bit annoyed at her apparent inability to grow (she felt like she hadn't gotten taller since she was 12, and Roman easily had two feet on her), she made sure to get a pair with platforms. Roman still dwarfed her, but the extra six inches helped. Especially after she used her semblance to make them look like heels.

All that was left was to take their new outfits, and new weapons, for a spin. 

They'd done banks, jewelry stores, tech stores, even pawn stores. They had more than enough money now, as their shopping spree had demonstrated. What they needed was reputation.

“We could try kidnapping someone?” Roman offered. They were sat in their motel room, brainstorming as Neo channel surfed.

Neo shook her head, settling on a channel so she could answer. "Too much work. Gotta find someone important enough to kidnap, actually pull it off, find somewhere to keep them, set up a ransom. Just not worth it."

Roman sighed, folding his hands behind his head, "you're right, of course."

"Assassination?" Neo suggested.

Roman scowled, and for a moment Neo was afraid his conscience was returning. 

"We don't want that kind of reputation. You kill some council member, or diplomat, or general and suddenly everyone sees you as a dangerous weapon," Roman said, "we're crooks, not hired guns."

Ah, so it was pragmatism. That was fine then. 

Neither spoke as they thought. The news droned, the channel Neo happened to stop on. She rolled her eyes and reached for the remote. Roman put a hand over hers, though, stopping her.

"-exhibit on Mistral’s history, on loan from the eastern kingdom. Chief Richard Deckard of the Vale police has assured the Mistral and Vale councils that every precaution has been taken. Quote 'this gesture of cooperation and peace from Mistral is a welcome one, and I promise the exhibit will be returned in pristine condition," The anchor reported, "in other news, notorious kingpin  Dà Huī Xióng has escaped conviction yet again-"

"That's perfect!" Roman said, flicking off the tv, "we'll rob that exhibit! If that doesn't make a name for us, nothing will!"

 

* * *

 

The Royal Vale Museum was bustling. People from all over the city, even the kingdom, had come to see the new exhibit. Roman had paid there way in, wanting to look around before starting the show. At least, that was plan. Unfortunately, there was a metal and dust detector at the door. Roman sighed, looking at the metal gate in annoyance.

“Was really looking forward to window shopping,” he said, shaking his head. In one smooth motion, he drew his pistol and made a mess of the guard’s face. “Oh well. Time to get to work.”

Neo was stunned, she didn’t think he had it in him. Sure, he had killed before, but he had thought she was dying at the time. Hardly the same as just blowing a guy’s face off. She was impressed. And maybe a little turned on.

The screaming started, pulling Neo back to reality. She put herself in front of Roman, blocking a taser shot with her new cloak. She grinned at the guard as Roman sent him after his partner. 

"If everyone would be so kind as to get on the ground, we can all go home safe and sound," Roman shouted, trying to be heard over the panicked throng. Even with his stage voice though, it was hard for him to be heard. He sighed, rolling his eyes. He fired into the air, shouting, "SHUT UP!"

That did it. People stopped, some dropping to the ground.

The attention now firmly on him, Roman spoke again while Neo closed and locked the door. "Look at that, we've found the smart ones. Now if the rest of you could follow their example that would be wonderful."

Once everyone else was laying on the ground, Roman continued, "Now, we don't want to hurt anyone. We will, as the gentleman staining the tile were kind enough to demonstrate, but we don't want to. We're just going to take some souvenirs, then we can all go home."

"You're robbing a museum in broad daylight with a pistol," a small man, at least smart enough to stay on the ground, pointed out. "What kind of idiot are you?"

"The kind with limited patience and a loaded weapon," Roman answered. He picked his way through the horizontal crowd until he loomed over the man, glaring at him. "So the question is, what kind of idiot are you?"

"... the kind that's going to be quiet?" he offered, his voice cracking a bit. 

"Good man," Roman answered with a smile. 

Neo skipped past the pair to pick through the displays. She loved getting new things! 

A display of daggers caught her eye first. Some gold, some iron, some jeweled some not. Using the pommel of her rapier, she shattered the glass.

"Those are just replicas," Roman said, pointing at the sign over the display that said as much. 

Neo stopped stuffing daggers in her bag long enough to answer. "So? They're pretty and pointy. I want them."

Roman shrugged, smart enough not to argue. Thinking with his wallet, he went to a case of authentic jewelry. Neo, finished with her knives, moved to look at a mannequin dressed in traditional Mistral wear. What caught her eye most, though, was a parasol. The handle and ribs were light brown, almost yellow, polished wood. Oiled paper made up the canopy, white patterned with pastel pink flowers. She stared at it with wide eyes, almost pressing her nose against the glass. It was beautiful.

_ Crash!  _ Roman smashed open the case of jewelry. These, it seemed, were not replicas, because an alarm started wailing. Neo whirled at the sudden noise, her rapier at the ready. Roman gave her an apologetic smile, clearly a bit rattled himself.

“Well. That’s going to get annoying fast,” he sighed, “I guess we’ll have to make this quick.”

Neo smashed open her case to get the parasol. Her parasol. It felt right in her hand, natural. Like that day years ago when she picked up that sharpened rebar for the first time, but so much better. She popped it closed, then open again, then propped it on her shoulder and gave it a little spin. Roman smiled at her new accessory, and Neo felt her cheeks warm.

Following her lead, Roman looted an elegant looking cane. It was carved of black wood with a red gem fixed to the top. A bit long for him, but he made it work. He twirled the cane, and Neo returned his smile with one of her own.

“Well, I think that’s enough fun for one day,” Roman said, trying to hide his blush. Neo snickered, taking his hand. He gave it a squeeze and she squeezed back.

“As I promised you’re all free to go,” Roman said, with a wave of his new cane. “We’ve got what we came for, so we’ve no longer a need for you.”  
“What, just like that?” the same man from earlier asked.

Roman rolled his eyes, “Yes, just like that. Why does everyone act surprised when we let them go?”

“Maybe we should just kill them?” Neo offered, grinning at the man. A few of their hostages paled, showing that some people in this worthless city at least read sign.

“Don’t tempt me,” Roman grumbled. Louder, he added, “Fine, if you’re going to be babies, we’ll go first. Neo?”

He held out his arm to Neo, which she happily took. Just like the week before in the jewelry store, the pair sauntered outside. Instead of six cops, however, what had to be the entire Vale police force awaited them. Armored vans, police in riot gear with swords an automatic weapons. At least five laser sights trained on them, snipers on the surrounding rooftops. Even huntsman and huntresses, dressed in plain clothes with complex weapons. 

Neo wrapped her cloak around herself, glancing nervously at Roman. Had he planned for this? Given how nervous he looked, she guessed not. To his credit, the cops looked nearly as surprised as he did, seeing two teenagers walk out. 

A man with a square jaw and a brown coat lifted a bullhorn. It squawked, and then his voice was amplified, if not turned a bit tinny. “This is Chief Deckard of the Vale police. Have you been sent by your boss to deliver demands?”

“I am the boss,” Roman called back, “Roman Torchwick. That’s one word… Torchwick…”

Another cop ran up to Deckard, and the bullhorn was lowered as they spoke in hushed tones. After some deliberation, the amplified voice was back. “Have you come to turn yourselves in?”

Roman glanced at Neo, and she didn’t like what she saw on his face. Fear. He was afraid for her. Of course, the feeling was mutual, but she didn’t like knowing he didn’t have a plan.

“If I say no, do you start shooting?” Roman asked. He held his pistol still, but was smart enough to keep it at his side.

“Saying yes would be the smart move, son,” Deckard answered, “One way or another, you’re leaving here in our custody.”

“The only question is how many pieces you leave in!” This was shouted by a huntsman dressed in monochrome and toting a scythe as big as he was. He was leaning against it and his words slurred together a little, leading Neo to wonder if he’d shown up drunk. Deckard hushed him, pointing one of his officers to keep the huntsman in line.

“If you turn yourselves in and return everything you stole, I can promise you’ll be treated fairly. This doesn’t have to end badly, son. You still got your whole life ahead of you, you both do,” he said. “Don’t be stupid.”

Roman’s teeth ground together. He was struggling to find a way out of this and, judging by his frustration, was coming up empty. Neo hated seeing him like this, and she’d hate to see him getting hurt doing something stupid to try and save her. She’d have to do something stupid to save him. Save them both.

Her sword hit the ground with a clatter, and her bag thumped after it. Neo smiled at Roman and put her hands up. They had to surrender. It was the only way out.

“Neo what are you doing?” Roman hissed. 

She couldn’t answer, not with her hands in the air. Not without risking a cop with an itchy trigger finger. Slowly, she walked towards the blockade. 

“Smart girl. Nice and slow, no sudden movements,” Deckard said. 

Neo couldn’t see the look on Roman’s face, which was for the best. She did, however, hear the clatter and thunk of him dropping his own weapon and bag of loot. 

“I guess you got us, officers,” Roman said, his mask firmly back in place, “The great Roman Torchwick and Neo Politan, brought to justice. Congratulations.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one felt a bit rambling, but I had a lot to get done. Fortunately, I got it all in, and I think I managed to keep it interesting. Someone in the comments on chapter 13 said they feared overconfidence would be the downfall of our crooks. Well, here it is, the downfall caused by overconfidence. Don't worry though, I've been planning this for a while now. After all, I had to work Roman's canon mugshot in somehow!
> 
> I'm really excited for the next bit. A character I've been planning for for a while ago is coming up. I hinted to him in this chapter. Because I have no self control.
> 
> Richard Deckard is a (not so) subtle nod to Rick Deckard of Blade Runner, and subsequently Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. Also there's a little Qrow easter egg. Not at all important to the story but I love little cameos. Sue me.


End file.
